While the whole of world is facing the fatal COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak including India, the government of India has taken the many proactive steps. One of the most effective steps so far has been the nationwide lockdown. The government of India has declared the nationwide lockdown on 23rd March, 2020. In addition to this the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) passed on some of basic awareness related material about the COVID-19 related scientific material dealing with spread, precautions and control of the same.
Sanjeevani Institute for Empowerment and Development (SIED) is implementing the HRDP Parivartan initiative in total 23 villages in which 12 villages are in Yavatmal District and 11 villages are in Nasik. The nationwide lockdown also came into force into all the 23 HRDP project villages. This was a sudden event and we had to stop all the ongoing project work including social, NRM, agriculture and training related activities.
In view of the nationwide lockdown, the first thing done by SIED is that we have asked project community members from all 23 project villages to follow the lockdown measures, instructions, social distancing, washing hands with sanitizers, not touching the eyes and ears by hands.
The SIED project staff was there in the respective project offices to help the project communities in whatever way they could by following instructions by the government.
COVID-19 Pandemic Awareness
SIED got the basic factual boards printed and displayed at the public place in project villages which helped in enhancing the basic awareness about the COVID-19 and how to protect ourselves. Second thing we did was we circulated the authentic audio-visual material about COVID-19 in WHATSAPP group in the project villages. This was circulated among youths, farmers, me and women. Our village volunteers also helped the community in maintaining the social distancing while doing anything in the villages including purchasing things from the shops, from ration shops, fetching water etc. We also asked to the community members to use face mask and eye goggle as and when you are going out. The village volunteers also helped the respective Grampanchyats to disinfect the villages. Face masks were distributed to the 98 poor and needy families.
Grocery Kits and Vegetable Supply to the Stranded Labors
Some of the skilled labors families were carrying out the Check Dam construction work in the project villages in both the Nasik and yavatmal project villages. The sudden declaration of the lockdown had left these families helpless and they were stranded in these villages. SIED though its respective project teams have approached these families. We informed them and also asked them to follow all the norms and instruction till some way is found out. These families are helped with the most basic need of grocery kits to take care of their food, the needed vegetables were supplied to them, the tents were provided to them. The hand sanitizers, soaps, detergent soaps, hair oil, etc. is also provided to these stranded labor in both the project locations. In all 105 most needy families were helped in this way.
Helping the families reverse migrated
SIED, with the help of the graampanchyat is in the process of collecting the information and the current employment status of the families which have been revers migrated from the cities to the project villages. We are also in the process of deciding on how the GP and the project could help these families to survive in this difficult time.
Community members followed and are all the instructions given to them by Government authorities, local administration and SIED team. They followed social distancing, use of face mask, goggle, hand washing, not touching eyes and ears strictly. Villages are kept clean and hygienic. As a result there is no single local case of COVID-19. Villages have also have asked outsiders to be quarantined as and when they come to the village. The villages are safe from the COVID-19 pandemic so far.