Extraordinary situation demands extraordinary efforts
The COVID 19 has shocked the entire world into turmoil. India has also been stung by its evil tentacles. Complete lockdown and social distancing seem to be the only solution to combat the unforeseen acceleration of its spread. Uncertainty and trauma are threatening to become stable pollutants of mental peace. While the direct impact of the virus is itself fatal, the effects of the unexpected lockdown have severely impaired the lives of the already vulnerable and marginalized.
The critical situation in many of the villages in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu continues to worsen.
Sri Aurobindo Society is working with the Puducherry State Government and several other NGOs to cater to the urgent needs of various sections of the community.
Procurement and Distribution of Protective Medical Gear
Sri Aurobindo Society has procured 4000 numbers of N95 and N99 masks, 36000 three-layered masks (disposable as well as washable and reusable), and 1000 PPE kits for the state administration and for its different departments. The Society had already distributed 3500 N95 and N99 masks, 30000 three-layered masks (disposable as well as washable and reusable), and 600 PPE kits.
These masks are being distributed to the Police personnel, Doctors, Nurses, Medical staff who are directly or indirectly in contact with the patients, and to the Ambulance drivers, Anganwadi workers, Sanitation workers, and also to the Media professionals. The PPE kits have been distributed particularly to doctors, nurses, lab technicians to ensure that they are safe to serve the community.
Several private and Government hospitals have also been provided with protective gear.
Sri Aurobindo Ashram Nursing Home, as well as some inmates of the ashram and other common people in the vicinity, were also provided masks.
Food, Medicine, and Provisions
SARVAM and SANJEEVAN teams have reached out across 250 villages to over 4500 villagers, mostly old, terminally ill, vulnerable and marginalized, and marginalized, who were struggling without the essentials for survival. Our teams are providing them their basic provisions along with food kits and medicines apart from giving them seasonal vegetables and fruits.
Detail reports are available at the following links.
Special Children (Satya Special School)
Children with Special Needs would need focussed and sensitive care during this crisis where everything around them has completely changed. Towards this, Sri Aurobindo Society and its partner Satya Special School are working together for Children with Special Needs, especially from the marginalized section of the society. They have also reached out to their families.
Additionally, through this partnership food kits have been given to 250 elders, 25 widows, and single parents.
They have reached out and provided care to the families of ex-inmates of the Central jail since most of the only earning members of these families were jobless during the lockdown.
Telephonic counselling to families of the inmates about the do’s and don’ts are being done by volunteers of SAS. The need and practice of personal hygiene and social distancing are being explained to the family members of the ex-inmates.
SAS team members have been reaching out to every section of the society without any discrimination – fearless of their personal risks and hazards.
lives of the migrant workers. India is a country filled with migrant workers. These people have lost their livelihoods and are forced to go back to their places. On their way back to their homes, these migrant workers are trapped and many of them are starving for food. Neither are the shops open to buy some food nor they have the money to buy groceries and cook on their own.