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COVID and Amphan relief in West Bengal

Update  on July 15: Thank you for support

The news has moved on from Cyclone Amphan. But for those who survived, the impacts continue.  Because of your generous gift, close to 1000 student families were offered a lifeline.  Asha sent Rs 10.5L for the distribution of dry food items, tarpaulins and mosquito nets. However, the money that you sent has had greater impact than just relief and included both repair and rehabilitation. You have helped these West Bengal families in ways that are much further reaching than just immediate relief.

Local families suggested an idea that could address both urgent local needs as well as their need for dignity and community. Amphan had broken levees causing breaches of salt water. Beneficiaries volunteered to “work for food”, rebuilding the levees and desalinating ponds or agricultural land in exchange for the relief items. Our project partner Mukti offered gender sensitive workdays for affected people to honor both their self-respect and sense of service.

Asha focuses on educating underprivileged children. However, when students face a calamity that destabilizes their lives, damages their schools and consumes their books, education becomes a luxury that must wait in line after survival and security. Thanks to YOUR support, children received timely assistance so that they may start to think about reclaiming their education, their lives and their future while manifesting their values even in this difficult time.

Your empathy and action has mattered. Not just to the affected families of Amphan, but to us volunteers. Thank you for caring. Thank you for sharing our vision for a better world.

ASHA’S WORK & INVOLVEMENT in COVID relief so far

Asha has a wide network of committed and trusted community partners who are deeply rooted in their communities and understand the local needs.

While all our projects partners are working for their communities, our partners in rural U.P. And W.Bengal have needed our monetary support the most. Asha is primarily supporting food relief to vulnerable families in monetary terms, although a lot of work is taking place:

• Facilitating bank access for rural families to withdraw Govt provided money from their own Jan Dhan accounts
• Ensuring that people are able to gain access to govt. provided relief
• Maintaining databases of people who do not have the necessary Govt ID to help them apply after lockdown
• Educating communities about distancing, hygiene and dispelling fears and myths
• Arranging medical relief in the midst of disrupted transportation
• Re-thinking the economics of supply and demand in the area to arrive at new paradigms

Asha is raising funds to support the efforts of the local volunteers.

We at Asha Bangalore are reaching out to you to help us expand the work and offer a lifeline to families in crisis. Please be assured that your money will be used well.

LATEST NEWS:

For updates, to see pictures and understand some of the issues and ground realities, please see our Facebook Page:

Asha Bangalore Page

WORK IN U.P. – Project Partners Vallabh Bhai Pandey & Nandlal Masters

In rural U.P. our partners have reached over 2000 families to deliver education about the disease, logistical help, provisions and hygiene supplies. They are continuing to identify and provide relief to the most vulnerable.

In Phase 1 of the lockdown they worked with the local Sarpanches of over 40 villages to identify the most vulnerable and those who had no access to Govt. Schemes for food. Their needs were carefully considered and met with a 5-day supply kit (typ. family of 5) with dal, rice, soy chunks, biscuits, oil, salt & soap (Rs 600 / family / week). Identified families were given tokens and a schedule was established before-hand to prevent overcrowding. Orderly distribution was done with distancing.

In Phase 2 of the lockdown partners identified special needs families like those with pregnant women, young mothers or those with illnesses or disabilities. Some special provisions were made in communities observing roza. In Phase 3, migrant labourers who have returned home are being supported and restored after their long hardship periods where they were working or for their arduous journeys back home.

WORK IN W. BENGAL – Project Partner Mukti for COVID Relief

In the Sundarban region of W. Bengal, Mukti runs several schools supported by Asha. Approx. 1200 students from these schools are in stage 1 starvation. Mukti has been working to support their other networks of farmers and teachers through other resources, but have requested Asha for help with the rice for families of students at a cost of Rs 450 / family for a month. These are some of the other relief activities:

• Educated communities about Covid
• Run medical camps to relieve lockdown related logistics
• Taken special efforts to serve the elderly
• Provided fish and food for local police stations and hospitals
• Identified the challenges of overcrowding at the limited local wells & implemented a social distancing culture during water collection.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ?

1. BE THE DIFFERENCE for 1 or more families.
   Food relief kits are between Rs 450 to Rs 600 per family. Please consider supporting up to 3 families (Rs 1350 to 1800). No amount is too small. Your money will support:
   • Providing vulnerable families with an essentials kit comprised of basic foods
   • Educating area families regarding social distancing and hygiene and how to care for themselves should they become ill
   • Involving local and credible community members to increase impact
   • Continuing this work as long as the Corona-crisis continues

Click here to contribute a relief kit in INR

To contribute in USD/non-INR, please click here. 

3. Share our stories with others and encourage them to make a difference