As our staff continues to strive hard on the front line, here are a few updates on our interventions during this month:
Information on Emergency Services
We began with mapping health care centres and facilities, and also provided beneficiaries with information on:
- Oxygen Availability
- Ventilators
- Ambulance services for emergency referrals
- Appointments with COVID-19 specialist doctors
Behavior Change Communication
With our efforts, beneficiaries have been following precautionary measures and maintaining social distancing at homes, in community areas, on farms and worksites. Communication modes included support from Village Volunteers (SPOCS):
- Personal contact
- Educating through group and physical meetings
- Announcements
- Digital messaging
- 177 images
- 112 voice messages
- 43 videos
- System calls and IVRS calls
- Demonstrations on:
- Social distancing
- Handwashing
- Wearing face masks
Ration and Medical Equipment Support
- Ration Distribution: Provided 11,228 families with ration kits in core locations
- Supporting Migrants: Fed and provided ration kits to 80,000 migrants and casual labourers over 15 days of lockdown
- Medical Support: Purchased and provided 340 PPE kits for health workers, paramedic staff and isolation ward patients
Creating Livelihood Opportunities
Though restrictions existed, we turned this crisis into an income generation opportunity for women in villages:
- Producing Face Masks: Women prepared 2,32,278 masks through our livelihood program
- Establishing Kitchen Gardens: Encouraged women to grow vegetables locally; currently, 325 women in Punjab are part of this initiative
- Enabling Financial Access: 158 SHGs applied for COVID-19 Sahay Loans, expecting to receive ₹2.36 crores
Insurance Linkages for Farmers
Range De, a non-banking financial corporation, provided ₹80 crores in 0% interest loans to 65,000 farmers under a COVID-19 special initiative. We linked at least 600 farmers for ₹20,000 each, starting in West Bengal and Maharashtra, and expanding to FPOs and federations.
Mental Health and Advisory Services
The lockdown has impacted mental health across India. To support our team’s well-being, we provided regular outreach and stress management advice. We also partnered with the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Pune, for webinars and 'train the trainer' sessions.
Building Partnerships
We partnered with organizations to support during this crisis:
- Noora Health: COVID-19 awareness content (images, audio, video)
- Tata Trusts: Video information in regional languages
- Centre for Mental Health: Mental health videos and training
- Gram Vaani: IVRS platform with health info
- IDH Netherland: COVID insurance support for 25,000 farmers
How we are helping some of our beneficiaries:
- Elderly: Special care and support through volunteers, regular calls and voice messages
- Farmers: Promoting social distancing on farms and linking with insurance
- Truckers: Voice and video messages tailored for them
- SEDI Trainees: Daily awareness messages; shifted training to online
- Pregnant/Lactating Mothers: Nutrition content and counselling via WhatsApp
For all our efforts, we’ve received positive feedback from our beneficiaries:
Till date we have reached the following milestones:
- Reached 7 lakh beneficiaries through daily mobile messaging
- 3958 Village Volunteers (Single Points of Contact)
- 215 Ambuja Volunteers
- 84,500 pamphlets distributed
- 315 walls painted
- 7,138 hand sanitizers distributed
- 432 villages fumigated
- 4,136 PPE kits distributed
- 177 infographics shared
- 98 voice messages shared
- 14 animated videos shared
