Relief activities pertaining to peoples’ sustenance is a major concern in the times of the COVID-19 lockdown and post-lockdown, where the peoples’ lives have been hit hard in terms of health and finances. Enabling the community to fight back, to get hold of their lives by reinstalling the much needed hope in their lives as well as their employment and for the amelioration of their lives is the need of the hour. May month marked the conclusion of the lockdown across the nation and witnessed the commencement of the unlock 1.0 from the government. Notwithstanding, the covid-19 statistics revealed the hike in the number of cases on daily basis since the announcement of unlock 1.0. Times like this – where chaos and amiss prevailing in the lives of the people in the community – necessitates actions to be more vibrant and people to be much more vigilant.

During May 2020, DHAN Foundation has contributed 1,06,264 masks and 2,465 soaps/sanitizers; supplied grocery kits to 5,946 families, vegetables kits to 3,490 families, served cooked food to 742 people; created awareness programmes in 161 villages, supplied kabasura kudineer to 11,997 families across 272 villages, sprayed disinfectant in 1,315 households across 29 villages, reached 10,922 families through community call centres and created livelihood opportunity for 1,087 tailors who’d produced 8,72,700 masks in May month.

Adilabad

DHAN Foundation stemmed up its efforts in reaching the lives of poor and vulnerable sections intensifying the sustenance provisions to its members in Adilabad region of Telangana state. Through the Farmer Producer Organizations, grocery kits worth Rs. 76,381 were distributed constituting vegetables, oil, sugar, tea powder, salt, detergent soap/powder to 839 member families. Forty-six capacity building programmes were organized signifying the importance of Social distance, Mask wearing and Handwashing (SoMaHa; the institutional preventive mantra) reaching 1,938 members across the region. In collaboration with local NGOs, 315 reusable masks were distributed to the daily wage labourers employed at the market areas.

Aurangabad

DHAN Foundation is associated with 3062 families through its 253 Kalanjiam SHG groups in five locations of Aurangabad region, Maharashtra. In Vaijapur and Khultabad locations the sustenance needs of 274 vulnerable families were served by distributing grocery kits. As part of SoMaHa mantra, distributed 108 reusable masks, 151 soaps to 45 Kalanjiam group families.

Beed

DHAN Foundation is associated with 13,816 families through its 1028 SHGs across 273 villages in the Beed region of Maharashtra. Making headway the relief activities in the field – ensuring the safety and sustenance needs of the people – 3,888 masks were distributed reaching out 391 SHG families, distributed 452 grocery kits (worth Rs. 1,61,900) meeting the needs of 76 SHG families and supplied 728 alcohol-based handwashing soaps to 78 SHG families. To meet the safety and sustenance needs of the member families, crowd funding from individual donors, local NGOs and institutions was mobilized and pooled up Rs. 2,08,010 in the region.

Balasore

DHAN Foundation is associated with 6,500 daily wage laborers, 400 fishing families, 500 migrant families, 200 families whose livelihood depends on Poultry and 1,500 families whose livelihood depends on small petty shops in Balasore region, in the state of Odisha. Balasore Region is one of the coastal regions DHAN Foundation is working.

Amidst the struggle and loss, the world has been subjected to, paying the price in the form of life, health and finances, due to the on-going pandemic, the Eastern India during 16th May 2020 to 21st May 2020, was forced to face another natural calamity along with COVID-19 i.e., Amphan Cyclone.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) associates have responded bravely against the calamity by actively engaging themselves in issuing the early warning signals as well ensured evacuation activities in 50 severely prone cyclone villages, and partook in road clearance activities post-cyclone.

After meticulously mitigating the cyclone effects, DHAN involved in serving cooked food to 742 needy people and dispensed 4788 masks across the region. Foundation’s Interface with government happened in managing quarantine centers in Ikadpal, Rasalpur, Nayabali in the region. 600 migrants associated with DHAN has returned from various parts of the state to the region. Institution is ensuring their safety as well as others by making sure the returned migrants were properly tested and preaching them the need and necessity of social distancing themselves and self-home quarantining themselves for the benefits of their family and the community as a whole.

Gundar Basin

DHAN Foundation is associated with 46,000 families in 14 blocks across four districts – Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar and Sivagangai – in Gundar Region, in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Through the ministrations of local philanthropists, 12 tonnes of vegetables was supplied covering 11 villages of Thiruchuli block reaching out to 2235 families. In ensuring the health and sanitation of the people, DHAN Foundation supplied Kabasura Kudineer (the immunity building drink) in 12 villages to 1414 families, sprayed disinfectants in 11 villages reaching 1315 households. Establishing the institutional mantra SoMaHa deep into the community, 3612 masks were distributed, engaged 463 members in seven villages for hand wash programme across the region. Discerning the dire need of ‘mental health matters’ amid the lockdown, services to 1465 families were provided through the community call centre.

Madurai Rural

DHAN Foundation is associated with 36,000 members through its 2610 SHG groups in its 14 locations across four districts - Madurai, Sivagangai, Pudhukottai and Ramnad – of Madurai Rural, in the state of Tamil Nadu. The team has distributed 53,000 masks across the region. With the succor of SUHAM, 21,500 Kabasura Kudineer (the immunity building drink) packets were distributed to a worth of Rs. 10,75,000 across all its working locations in Madurai rural.

Mysore

DHAN Foundation embarked relief activities since lockdown evolved in creating livelihood opportunities for the member families, besides ensuring the safety measures and sustenance needs of the members across its five rural and one urban working locations of Mysore region, in the state of Karnataka. The team has supplied 4,500 sustenance and safety kits (1 kg Dal, 1 kg Sugar, 1-liter Oil, 2 masks, 2 soaps with COVID-19 awareness pamphlets) to the Kalanjiam member families.

Livelihood opportunity was created to 35 tailors’ of Bannuru Tailoring Centre of Mysore region, wherein the tailors have manufactured 30,000 masks. These masks have been distributed to the Kalanjiam members across the region ensuring the members’ safety especially in the times of hike in the number of cases during the post-lockdown.

Nagapattinam

DHAN Foundation is associated with 14,000 families through its eight federations spread across three districts of Nagapattinam region, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Rooting the mantra SoMaHa strongly in the community, the team has distributed 5,670 masks to the members. Furthermore, `How to make homemade masks,’ was video documented and circulated through WhatsApp to all the member families across the region; 4,820 members prepared their own masks learning through the video documentary. In total 1654 members were involved across its region to ensure Sanitation and Hygiene in 132 panchayats and supplied Kabasura Kudineer (the immunity building drink) to 9853 members in 244 villages.

Awareness messages have been communicated to 9457 members over phone disseminating information related to covid-19, safety, precautionary measures, and asserting the benefits of including more immunity building foods like lemon, ginger, Jeera, Thulasi in daily food intake. Livelihood opportunity was created to 21 tailors across the region, wherein the tailors have stitched 33,700 masks.

In Collaboration with the Health Department of Nagapattinam region, screening tests to 1800 persons’ in Thirunallur and Karaikal blocks was done. Through the Sirkali Federation, lunch to 43 daily wage workers was served (who are out of employment) for the whole May month.

Through the Karaikal Federation, the team has supported Anganwadi workers in the region in providing awareness programmes in five panchayats and also involved in providing food for cancer patients, sugar patients and pregnancy mother; reaching a total of 106 people.

Nanded

DHAN Foundation is associated with 9286 member families through its 715 Kalanjiam SHGs, in eight locations across three districts in Nanded region, in the state of Maharashtra. Grocery kits worth Rs. 43,800 was distributed reaching 144 members of 30 SHGs. Livelihoods opportunities were created for the tailoring members in the region, wherein the members have stitched 6115 masks which were distributed among Kalanjiam members, Police department and PHC workers. Through the soap making unit in the region, the team has supplied 300 alcohol-based soaps and 555 sanitizers worth of Rs. 21500 to the Kalanjiam member families. Through the online crowd-funding platforms and local individual donations Rs. 13,000 was pooled-up for the relief activities in the region.

Pambar

DHAN Foundation is associated with 1.25 families in its 14 locations across the Pambar region, in the state of Tamil Nadu. The team has distributed grocery kits worth Rs. 2,95,000 to 610 members, supplied 9150 reusable masks among the Kalanjiam members across the region. Livelihood opportunity was created to 31 tailoring members across the region, wherein the members have stitched 9,000 masks.

Ramnad

DHAN Foundation has supplied Kabasura Kudineer in six villages reaching 570 families, created awareness programmes and demonstrated hand washing programmes in five village reaching out to 160 member families.

Salem

DHAN Foundation distributed grocery kits and supplied rice bags to 1075 members in Salem region, Tamil Nadu.

Solapur and Osmanabad

DHAN Foundation is associated with 12,220 families through its 806 SHGs in eight locations across six blocks in Solapur and Osmanabad, in the state of Maharashtra. 3,268 masks were distributed across five blocks, disseminated corona awareness information as well immunity building food items through phone calls, audio recordings and video documentations, reaching 3706 families in the region. Distributed grocery kits to 121 members and supplied 1458 alcohol-based handwashing soaps. Rs. 16,153 was mobilized through crowd funding platforms. Indian bank in the region contributed Rs. 10,000 for relief activities in the region.

Tirupur

DHAN Foundation supplied 100 kgs of rice and vegetables and also served cooked food in addition to providing grocery kits for 32 migrant workers belonging to Odisha and Bihar who got struck in Tirupur region, Tamil Nadu.

Tuticorin

DHAN Foundation is associated with 10,886 members across the five working blocks in Tuticorin region, in the state of Tamil Nadu. 2200 masks were distributed ensuring the safety of 622 families, ensured the sanitation and hygiene by spraying disinfectant near the households and streets in 18 villages and supplied Nilavembu Kasayam in five clusters across the region.

The team has distributed vegetable kits to 215 Below Poverty Line families, spread awareness signifying the importance of mantra SoMaHa in 22 villages across the region. Through the Kalanjium Thozhilagam Limited and Jeevidam institutions of DHAN Collective, vegetable kits to 1040 families were supplied.

Visakhapatnam

DHAN Foundation is associated with 32,000 families across its six federations in Vishakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. 20,108 masks were distributed across the region, supplied 2775 food packets and grocery kits and vegetables with the aid of local donations and members’ voluntary donations. The regional team has ensured employment opportunity for 1000 tailoring members in the region, wherein they’ve produced 8 lakh masks for DRDA, GVMC generating an income of Rs. 24 lakhs.