Parivaar Covid Relief Measures (First 6 weeks)

We have spent Rs 58 Lacs in last 6 weeks (in addition to the expenses in our core programs and institutions) for Covid Relief. About two-third of this was spent in Direct cash Transfers and Cash handouts to extremely vulnerable people like elderly, migrants, and those falling through cracks with regard to services from government. We decided to emphasise on cash as we though that is missing element and more difficult to have than even foodstock which through Govt PDS people were receiving to some extent. Our 800 strong field-staff in trial areas of MP also helped intermediate receiving government entitlements for many people who were not getting that. More than 9 thousand families were impacted through our direct aid and support.
The mostly tribal population in these areas lives hands to mouth existence, and generally there are no savings to fall back to in case their economic activities stop, which is what has happened now. Further, mere basic food stock distribution (rice, wheat, pulses and salt) does not fulfill all their needs. Even if they are somehow able to feed themselves, they need money to buy other essentials such as medicines, baby food (milk etc) etc. Government has distributed certain sums under Jan Dhan scheme, Widow Pension scheme, and other such schemes but this amount is in many cases meager and there are significant numbers of people who, for a variety of reasons, fall through the cracks and do not get the money. In such circumstances, and as per the intensive field visits and surveys by our team, we found it necessary to give monetary assistance, depending upon our capacity, to at least the neediest people in the Seva Kutir villages and nearby villages who have almost no cash left with them. A significant portion of them are elderly people, who in many cases do not have any young adult family members to take care of them, expecting mothers, and families with young infants / new-borns. We have adopted two modes of giving monetary relief : (i) transferring money to their bank accounts & (ii) giving them cash. The latter was necessary as it was impossible for many people, especially the elderly ones, or people whose houses are far from market places where banks are, to access the bank and withdraw the money. Our team identified them, and handed over the cash to them .We are giving Rs 1000 to each family in most of the cases, while in some cases, depending on need, we are giving Rs 500.Further, for migrant people who are on the move and going to their homes, cash is needed for survival on the road, as they cannot carry food stock with them on an already long and difficult journey. Our team found out that some such migrant people had stopped at one place, unable to move further because of lack of any cash. When we handed over the cash to them, they said that they could now think of moving towards their homes. They said that at some places, they got free food but at many others, they had to buy the food from shops and cook their meals, for which they needed cash.
We have also distributed cash and food items to stranded pilgrims in the Narmada belt where a large number of people do ‘Narmada Parikrama’ walking on foot without any money. Our team on general visits to the areas nearby our Kutirs found out that there were some old persons stuck in the Salkanpur temple area (it is a famous pilgrimage centre) in Sehore district and the nearby ghats of the Narmada river. In some places, we tied up with local eateries to prepare food-packets for stranded people on Narmada Parikrama, and we paid to the eateries / dhabas. Our field people has shared their phone numbers all over the areas in the 5 districts of MP. In addition to the 5 districts where our Seva Kutirs are, we have also given monetary help to extremely poor and needy families in Bhopal city. Though we do not have any team or Centres in Bhopal, we still through our Volunteers identified and distributed cash to the needy people. Here is a short video of our efforts during this crisis time