DHAN’s one of the primacy missions since genesis has been bringing young professionals across varied disciplines, nurturing, grooming and transforming them into high quality professionals equipped with multi-faced management, administrative and technological skills and expertise through the various co-learning, cross-learning, cross-sectoral and cross-cutting methodologies.

Promoting a Poverty Free, Value Based, Equitable, Ecologically Sensitive and Just Society; thus the foundation’s philosophy and practices at the grassroots over the last three decades led the development action to move from “Individual Focus” to “Family Focus”, involving the development stakeholders from new born, youth, adult and old age to achieve an integrated family development, endowing the families with traditional food culture utilizing effective scarce natural resources with utmost care and caution paving the way for building an ecologically balanced, nutritional assured development among the communities. Outbreak of the pandemic facilitated these highly experienced professionals at the grassroots to address the disaster with the thus equipped skillset they already possessedthrough their years of development actions at the grassroots.

DHAN collective’s instant response by engaging its 3000 high quality professionals, field functionaries and 10,000 community volunteers in ensuring communities’ sustenance needs, organizing SoMaHa awareness campaigns, ensuring health as well as socio-economic well-being of the families through community call centres and wellness centres have built confidence among the community. Immunity building also focused through behavioural change communication to adapt to herbal and traditional medical food practices, curbing the distress sales through the evolution of ‘farm to house’ concept by supplying the produce to the door steps besides facilitating the vulnerable with the government schemes has been effectively carried out at the grassroots during the last few months viz.,relief phase across all the communities.

Uncertainties created among the vulnerable unorganized sections – less sure of everything; fear prevailing in the air with theirs’ as well as children’s future at stake – with the unprecedented sudden lockdown announcements coupled with subsequent uncertain extensions cornered the community to adapt new paradigm shifts, psychological attunementagainst the virus with a new belief system of immunity boosters and preventive measures entrusted in preventing as well as curing the virus has been happening among the communities over the last few months made the communities to revert back to ‘new normal’ situation i.e., trying to re-live the lives as usual as before equipping themselves with preventive as well as curative measures amid the new highsin the number of positive case recordings,pushing the nation to top three among the most virus infected countries in the world.

Enabling community to adapt new normal situation is very crucial in the current scenario which will be ensured with the ‘adaptation phase’, wherein the focus will be on restoration of livelihoods by adapting to the new situations and working with the mainstream for health as well as livelihoods.

ADILABAD

DHAN Foundation in Adilabad region organized sixteen SoMaHa awareness campaigns among the locations reaching 982 members; based on the possibilities offered in the respective locations, awareness campaigns were organized either through online or direct live demonstrations.

BALASORE

Leaders, members, DHAN field functionaries – altogether 150 participants – pursued the relief activities for the June month viz., SoMaHa awareness campaigns, distributing as well as facilitating essentials to the identified vulnerable families, supplying polythene (tarpaulin) to the members who houses damaged due to Amphan cyclone. Till June, 767 deprived and vulnerable members were served with cooked food and 14,570 re-usable masks were distributed to the members. Furthermore, in June month 100 Kalanjiam families were supplied with relief packages.

872 migrant member families’ returned to the location in June month from various parts of the country were asked to stay indoors; self-quarantined. DRR associates and field functionaries actively involved in addressing the posing uncertainties in the returned migrants exploring the skill building and livelihood creation platforms.

BEED

Abrupt hike in the recorded cases across the nation can be traced back to the spread of the virus into the rural villages as well; beed region is no exception to it, as the number of positive cases across the region started to increase. Wherever the possibilities are presenting, regional field functionaries are reaching out directly to the members to set the positive moment among the members; villages which were under self-containments’ zones, field functionaries are connecting with the members through online platforms.

Pertaining to June relief activities, 2500 re-usable masks and 48 grocery kits have been distributed among the member families. Collaboration with Homeopathic doctors was underway for availing Immunity booster viz., Arsenicum Album 30 to reach the maximum number of families. Furthermore, 170 eligible members were identified and have been enrolled for employment opportunities through MGNREGA.

CUDDALORE

Ensuring SoMaHa across the rural context has been a challenging factor wherein the field functionaries in Cuddalore region equipping the behavioural change communication ensured in seeding the preventive mantra across the region. In collaboration with panchayat administration, field functionaries engaged in village cleaning activities, disinfectant spraying in the village etc., maintain the hygiene of the villages. Furthermore, collaborating with health departments, immunity booster viz., Kabasura Kudineer has been supplied in 116 villages.

HYDERABAD

The uneven distribution of daily reported number of positive cases across different districts in the Telangana state depicts the fact that the capital ‘Hyderabad,’ has been – since the first case reported in the state – the hotspot in the state, with most of the red zones announced in and around the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area. Dense population, large-base for unorganized sector has been few main reasons for the community spread.

Nutrition Kits constituting Ragi Flour, Jowar flour, Wheat Flour, Turmeric, Pepper, Toor Dal, Sweet Orange, Vitamin D Tablets worth of Rs. 2,00,000 has been supplied to 500 vulnerable families in the region. Creating livelihood; as part of SoMaHa campaign – 8500 members were stitched by Narayanpur (one of the locations in the region) Kalanjiam members creating 300 working days for the women.

Furthermore, in Hathnoora, one of the Vayalagam locations in the region, conservation and development works viz., renovation works and open well deepening works, has been commenced in Brahamaguda and Lingapalli villages, preparing the farmers in the villages for the next crop as well providing livelihood to the villagers.

KALBURGI

Field functionaries’ carried forward the normalcy in the relief activities for June in all the non-containment locations in addition to the federation group activities across all the locations in Kalburgi region. In the containment zones, following the government orders, offices were locked and field functionaries operated from their respective homes connecting the members through online platforms. Furthermore, call centres in the region engaged in disseminating authenticated and fact-checked information to reach the members in addition to deepening the institutions’ SoMaHa preventive mantra among the communities. For June month, 430 re-usable were stitched by the kalanjiam members and distributed among the member families assuring their livelihoods and ensuring their safety.

MYSORE

Scale-up of the relief activities for a double-fold impact in view of commencement of the Adaptation and Rehabilitation Phase from July month with the conclusion of Relief phase by June month has been noted in DHAN’s Mysore region. Information dissemination to reach the last member for the multiplier effect is a necessity to contain the community spread. To ensure it, a two-way mutual information sharing and awareness creation has been devised in the region viz., field functionaries to leaders, leaders to members and vice versa. The approach ensures the connectivity with one another, knowing the well-being and psychology of thyself as well as peer members and eliminating the misguided information with the provision of screened and authorised information.

SoMaHa Awareness guiding posters and stickers were prepared in local vernacular language has been posted in DHAN’s location offices and the pamphlets were distributed to kalanjiam members across the region. The soft copies were shared with the members in the locations especially to member families who were unable to connect directly.

Mysore Regional COVID-19 campaign titled “Nanna Kutumbada Rakshane Nanna Hone (Protection of my family is my responsibility)” has been initiated in all the locations across the region. To reach the maximum door stickers were prepared bearing the campaign message with institutions’ preventive mantra has been distributed to all the members.

Fruitful results with a newly restored enthusiasm among the members of the Gaganachukki Mahila Kalanjia Okkuta and Vishweshwariah Mahila Kalanjia Okkuta of Malavalli in Mysore region amid the covid-19 hardships for sustaining the unsustained has created a huge impact across all the federations in the region. COVID-19 relief kits – ten grocery items, two masks and Nanna Kutumbada Rakshane Nanna Hone campaign stickers – have been distributed to 1400 members in both the Kalanjiams in Malavalli.

Madurai Rural

Mumbai for Maharashtra, Hyderabad for Telangana, for Tamil Nadu it has been Chennai; the metropolitans have been recording and reporting one-third-to-half of the state’s cases across the nation. This necessitated imposing complete lockdown in the state capitals across most parts of the country even during the unlock phase. Though the daily reporting cases is relative to the number of persons tested per day, the imposed complete lockdown tried to bring down the numbers in the metropolitans. The other side of the coin is, with the information of lockdown to be imposing or to be extended across the metropolitans lead the people pertaining to unorganized sector to cross the boarders in search of livelihoods resulting in spike in the number of cases in the other districts; one such districts in Tamil Nadu which faced with sudden hike is MADURAI.

Madurai district ranked 9th densely population in the state, with 60.8 per cent of urban population (more than state’s average of 48.40%; 2011 census) recorded 300+ daily cases necessitated the government to impose a complete lockdown in the district in the last week of June, with periodical operations of the essentials.

DHAN Foundation as of June month associated with 36,405 members through its 2656 SHG groups in 14 locations across four districts - Madurai, Sivagangai, Pudhukottai and Ramnad – of Madurai Rural region.

Immunity Boosters and SoMaHa were the focus of the June relief activities across Madurai rural. 21,500 Kabasabu Kudineer packets, 5,000 Arsenicum album 30 tablets were supplied to the members during the group meetings in Podhigai and Kurunchi locations. In Podhigai federation, Arsenicum album tablets were distributed to 5000 members in the Karisal Kulam containment zones.

THANJAVUR

Members’ immunity building was the prime focus of the June relief activities in Thanjavur region, wherein Kabasuba Kudineer has been supplied to 6000 member families. Besides providing instructions on how to use the immunity boosters, community organizations’ leaders’ involved in regular follow-up of consuming the supplied immunity boosters.

THIRUVALLUR

Thiruvallur region is an integrated region having seven People institution viz., two FPOs (Farmers Producers Organizations), two Vayalagam federations and three Kalanjiam federations, working in 121 panchayats, wherein 24 panchayats were announced as containment zones in June month.

Ensuring member families’ overall security has become the prime priority for the June month relief activities in Thiruvallur region. Field functionaries, leaders and members have become frontline workers engaging themselves in identifying vulnerable families for continuous follow-ups for the impact of after-awareness programmes. In as much, SoMaHa awareness campaigns were organized in 82 panchayats ensuring the preventive measures to 7200 people, 3.20 tonnes of vegetables were distributed in 12 panchayats serving the nutritional needs of 733 people, 7320 masks were distributed in 60 panchayats in efforts to curb the transmission chain and to meet the sustenance needs 1700 bags (25 kgs per bag) were distributed to 1700 families in 35 panchayats. Immunity Boosters, Kabasura Kudineer were distributed in 121 panchayats and Arsenicum album were distributed in 62 panchayats reaching 20,000 and 10,250 people respectively.

Furthermore, federations across the region supplied grocery kits to 153 vulnerable families in the region in addition to supplying 600 grocery kits to the needy kalanjiam families. After-effects of the awareness campaigns, immunity boosters’ regular intake as per guidelines were rigorously followed up by the field functionaries.

TUMKUR

Field functionaries across all the locations in the region were practicing thermal scanning, ensuring social distancing, wearing masks and sanitizing themselves as well as the office premises. In June month, staff across the region were oriented with health training programmes by eminent doctors in the region through online platforms. Thus trained staff will carry-on its implementations at the grassroots, delivering the health tips and preventive measures to the last member in the region.

WARANGAL

Ensuring the livelihood of the members through the conservation and development activities besides ensuring the relief activities is the key focus of Warangal region for June month. Cultivation of horticulture crops with erecting ‘pandal’ has proven to be lucrative with a significant enhancement in the yield, and the regional team is encouraging all the horticulture farmers to practice the method. Sixteen families earned Rs. 3500 per week through selling the vegetables that were grown through ‘pandal’ system.

Livelihood creation to support the prevailing uncertainties and to meet the water demand for the Khariff season, regional staff employed members in excavating staggered contour trenches as well as bunds for the new agricultural fields across the region. Furthermore, Rs. 2.7 lakhs have been paid to the members toward their labour days across the three watersheds projects DHAN is implementing across the region with a 1350 additional labour days created in June month.

Staggered Contour Trenches

Bunding the new agriculture field

For the June month, 30 beneficiaries across the three watersheds have been identified to sanction livelihood loans to restore/build their livelihoods. Furthermore, the region has received livelihood loans amounting to Rs. 45,000 and was disbursed to the beneficiaries.

RAMANAGARA

DHAN Foundation in Ramanagara region is having eight federations in 52 clusters across 660 villages of 137 panchayats, working with 23,000 women families associated through 1437 Kalanjiams. Locations in the region spread across Ramanagara as well as Bangalore rural covering three taluks viz., Kanakapura, Magadi and Ramanagara Taluk and two taluks viz., Doddaballapur and Nelamangala respectively.

June month relief activities in the region focused on ensuring SoMaHa activities across the region. SoMaHa awareness campaigns have been organized demonstrating the preventive measures in 155 villages across the region. 10,000 reusable masks and hand wash have been distributed benefitting 4800 member families. Furthermore, COVID-19 Health kits – containing 5000 Kgs of Red gram and dhal and 225 Kgs of Turmeric Powder pockets (50 gram of Turmeric Powder per Pocket), five kitchen garden green leafy vegetables – worth Rs. 7.20 lakhs have been distributed across the region reaching out to 4800 member families.

KHAMMAM

Gearing up the livelihood enhancement in the region, DHAN Foundation mobilized 24,492 wage seekers to NREGA works generating wage amount of Rs. 57 lakhs. Agriculture Finance Group (AFG) meetings were regularized across the region ensuring the institutions’ preventive mantra during the meetings; so far 93 AFG meetings has been completed. The region is actively promoting the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), one of the oldest methods of cropping establishment, in view of the prospects it presents to farming future; hitherto 80 hectares of area have been practiced under DSR method of cultivation in Chandrugonda and Palvancha locations. In addition to that, 138 farmers in 11 villages have come forward for implementing DSR method of cultivation in their 148.35 hectares of farming land. Furthermore, 30 hectares of agriculture land has been identified for the Trench Cum Bunding (TCB) execution works, creating employment opportunity to the members. Under Telangana Flagship Haritha Haram programme (to rejuvenate degraded forests), approached the Mandal administration for the plantation of 10,500 nursery plants onto the bunds of farm ponds and TCB works executed in the last financial year.

MUNGER

Livelihood and agricultural enhancement was the prime focus of June month relief activities in Munger region besides creating awareness of SoMaHa and ensuring the entitlements to the members. Nine tonnes of hybrid paddy seeds were supplied to small and marginal farmers across Asarganj, Tarapur and H. Kharagpur locations. Direct Seeded Rice technology concept seeding has been done to the Vayalagam members across the region, and as a result 100 acres of farming land in the region adopted the DSR method of cultivation.

Identified the livelihood demands across the regions and demand drafts were submitted to the respective panchayats as well as district administrations: A demand of 62 farm ponds was submitted under Jal Jeevan Hariyali scheme; 114 Pyne renovations, 19 cattle-shed constructions, 45 Farm pond excavations demand were submitted to District Development Commission for our Vayalagam members

SPECIAL REPORT ON MUNGER MIGRANTS

2986 temporary migrant labourers – Vayalagam members across four locations in the region; used to stay six to nine months in other states for livelihood – have returned from different parts of the country to the region. All the members were ensured with the Bihar government entitlement amounted to Rs. 29,86,000, in addition to the five kilograms of rice and one kilogram of pulse per month for the subsequent months from the Public Distribution System (PDS). The regional team after scrutiny, identified 204 eligible members and ensured job cards for them. For June month, facilitated the returned migrants to the NREGA works creating 15,449 man days, generating wage amount of Rs. 29,97,106.

NANDED

Nanded region is working in 156 working villages, associated with 9693 families through its 765 Kalanjiams. For June relief activities, 75 grocery kits were distributed to the vulnerable sections across the region in addition to employing members in stitching 5000 masks which were distributed across the region. As relief activities contribution, Rs. 25,000 has been pooled through member contributions and individual donors. Furthermore, 4059 members were benefitted through DHAN wellness centre.

SOLAPUR and OSMANABAD

Solapur and Osmanabad is working in 169 working villages, associated with 11767 families through 815 Kalanjiams. Under June month relief activities, DHAN Foundation has provided 3783 masks benefitting 187 SHGs, supplied 116 grocery kits benefitting 39 SHGs, distributed 2540 sanitizers/soaps benefitting 118 SHGs. Furthermore, 888 members benefitted through DHAN wellness centres. For the June month relief activities, the region has received individual donation of Rs. 11,000.

Visakhapatnam

Field functionaries and professionals at the Sagaratheera Kalanjia Samakya in Visakhapatnam region were in constant communication, providing moral support to the members who were getting treated at the hospitals. Ward volunteers – kalanjiam leaders and health staff – were rigorously monitoring the virus spread among the members.

In collaboration with stakeholders, banks, and local philanthropy as well as individual donations from the kalanjiam members and staff, Rs. 90,270 pooled up for the relief activities in June month, through which 82 COVID kits and 980 masks were distributed to the member families in addition to the continuous SoMaHa awareness creation across the Samakya.