Even during these challenging times, our hard-working and dedicated NGO-partners in India have been working hard to continue or modify their programs to help the poor and needy!

COVID-19 Awareness and Relief Efforts in the slums of Aurangabad

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Vaidyakiya Pratishthan Trust, Maharashtra

Even during the complete lockdown, IDRF-supported Mobile Medical Clinic in partnership withDr. Ambedkar Vaidyakiya Pratishthan was actively involved in providing OPD services, COVID awareness, and relief to the needy at their doorsteps. In 13 locations around the slums of Aurangabad food packets and grocery, kits were distributed and COVID-19 awareness and relief programs were conducted benefitting thousands of slum-dwellers. The doctors and health staff of the mobile clinic take the utmost precautions like wearing PPEs and following all safety measures while rendering the services.

For more program details: https://www.idrf.org/babasaheb/

Providing nutritious meals to severely malnourished children during the Pandemic
Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari, Arunachal Pradesh

Even during the pandemic lockdown, IDRF and partner-Vivekananda Kendra are working hard to continue providing nutritious meals to severely malnourished children in the remote hilly areas. During the complete lockdown, our partner team was unable to operate the centers where they prepare the meals for distribution to the children. However, the team determined to provide meals to these children, started supplying dry (uncooked) food items on foot to the hamlets where these children lived so that their parents could feed them the meals during the lockdown. The local transporters also extended their help to the team for this noble cause!  More than 510 severely malnourished children living in the remote hilly areas are benefitting as a result.

For more program details: https://www.idrf.org/vivekananda-kendra/

Medical Center providing OPD and Pathological Laboratory services to the rural poor

Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari, Assam

To provide quality health care at a very affordable cost to the poor patients, in 2019, we established a charitable Medical Center with an OPD and Pathological Laboratory in partnership with-Vivekananda Kendra in Laipuli village of Tinsukia district, Assam. IDRF funded the completion of the first phase of construction in June 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical and other staff at the medical center follow all mandatory safety guidelines and continue to serve the medical needs of the poor patients from the nearby villages. In June 2020, after one year of the inauguration of this medical center, 5110 patients were treated and 1008 pathological tests conducted.

For more program details: https://www.idrf.org/vivekananda-kendra/

Women’s Self-Help Groups Spread Awareness and Relief during the Pandemic

Arpana Research and Charities Trust, Haryana

As soon as the lockdown started, IDRF’s partner-Arpana’s workers started conducting telephone sessions to inform over 12,000 women members of 100 Self-Help Groups about COVID-19: symptoms and precautions such as social distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, etc. These Self-Help Group members in turn started spreading the awareness in their respective villages.  These members encouraged and helped in the sanitization of their villages along with their Panchayats. The women also made sure that the poor migrant laborer families in their villages got food and groceries during the lockdown. 500 women from 100 villages volunteered to become the liaison between the government officials and the villagers in the fight against coronavirus.

For more program details: https://www.idrf.org/arpana/

COVID-19 Awareness Training of Mahila Sangathan Members

SM Sehgal Foundation, Rajasthan

During the pandemic, training programs for women’s groups were organized in 47 villages in Ajmer. The objective of the program supported by IDRF was to create awareness about Coronavirus among the participants, DIY mask making, and distribution of masks to all the group members. Apart from the women trained in the Mahila Sangathan groups, other women from the villages were also encouraged to participate in the training. About 1,023 face masks were distributed among the members and banners were also used in the villages to spread awareness about the safety measures.

For more program information: https://www.idrf.org/ngo-s-m-sehgal-foundation/

IDRF Hostel Girls’ “Art of Survival” during the pandemic lockdown

Shiksha Bharati, Uttar Pradesh

IDRF provides free education, board, and lodging to underprivileged tribal girls from North-east India at the IDRF-supported hostel on the campus of Shiksha Bharati’s accredited High School in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. At present 88 girls are residing at IDRF-Hostel (Grade-6^th to 12^th). 

When a complete lockdown in India was implemented on March 24, 2020, the girls residing at the hostel in partner Shiksha Bharati’s school in Hapur decided to not travel to their homes but rather stay together and quarantine at the hostel itself.   These girls showcased discipline, and motivation and utilized this time as an opportunity to develop extra-curricular skills. They created a schedule that would allow them to not only function during the quarantine but also thrive. Yoga and meditation became a mandatory part of their daily routine. The older girls took care of the younger girls and helped them with their online classes and homework. All the girls were engaged in a lot of activities such as playing sports, learning languages, singing, learning to play instruments, folk-dancing, painting, cooking, and gardening, etc.

For more program details: https://www.idrf.org/shiksha-bharati/

Excellent Performance by the IDRF hostel girls in the Annual Board Exams 2020!

The school classes and annual board exams were postponed due to the lockdown in the country. However, the IDRF-Hostel girls were still able to pass the Board exams for classes 10^th and 12^th with flying colors! While the girls studied hard for the exams, they would not have been able to attend the school and unlock the tremendous potential without our donors’ unstinting financial support.

IDRF is continuing to provide financial support for the higher education of the students which will help make these girls financially independent and lead a life of dignity and self-respect. Six of the class XII girls have started graduate programs at Banasthali University (Rajasthan) and one is studying Nursing in her hometown.

Online fun learning activities for children during the lockdown

Swa-Roopwardhinee, Maharashtra

IDRF supports Swa-Roopwardhini in running 16 Integrated Child Development Centers in various parts of Pune, wherein 800+ academically bright students from deprived sections of the society participate for 3 hours each day. To keep children motivated and engaged during the COVID-19 lockdown, the volunteers developed many interesting online programs like early morning yoga, word puzzles, study sessions, competitions to encourage children to help parents in keeping the house clean, teaching cooking skills, daily diary, arts and crafts actives, elocution and storytelling competitions, etc.

For more program information: https://www.idrf.org/swa-roopwardhinee/

School lessons on Whatsapp for poor rural children

Vidhya Bharati Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Sansthan, Uttar Pradesh

IDRF and partner Vidya Bharati support a school for poor rural children in rural Ghaziabad about 15 miles from Delhi. The school provides affordable modern education to 417 children from poor families and about 20% of them are from extremely poor families who can’t even afford the nominal fees and school supplies. The hardworking and dedicated staff of SKKS Saraswati Vidya Mandir have been conducting online classes during the lockdown for the students through the Whatsapp platform.

Online training programs for teachers to provide computer literacy to underserved children

Computer Shiksha, Operating in over 15 states of India
Computer Shiksha, our partner who provides free computer literacy to underprivileged students in over 15 states of India, has been able to complete the online training programs with School Leaderships through Zoom in 34 schools in Pune (Maharashtra) and 49 schools in Sikar (Rajasthan). Computers for these new participating schools are refurbished and prepared and will be shipped to them once they open up!

For more program details: https://www.idrf.org/ngo-computer-shiksha/

Safe Drinking Water and Employment to villagers during the pandemic 

Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society, Tamil Nadu

IDRF and partner Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society (SVRDS) de-silted 7 ponds over May and June 2020 in the villages of Ranipet, Thiruvallur, and Chengalpattu districts to provide safe water for drinking and household consumption through Rain Water Harvesting to 18,500 villagers. These ponds were choked with silt and weed and water was unsuitable for human consumption. During the desilting process, the debris was dug up and pond bunds were strengthened by planting tree saplings in them. SVRDS was also able to employ some of the needy villagers during these difficult times in helping with the de-siltation process. During monsoons, it is expected that the pond will be filled with water.

For more program details: https://www.idrf.org/ngo-swami-vivekananda-rural-development-society-svrds/

Generating MANERGA work demand and providing sustainable water resources

Samerth Charitable Trust, Gujarat

120 families of Davri village in Kutch district, can access safe and clean drinking water even in the summer months. During the pandemic, the Indian government announced that people could access MGNREGA work for creating livelihoods in the rural areas.  The dug well and the pond was restored by our partner-Samerth Trust with IDRF’s help under MGNREGA and provided livelihood to local struggling families.

For more program details: https://www.idrf.org/samerth/

Learning and livelihood training centers for migrant worker families

Samerth Charitable Trust, Chhattisgarh

At the beginning of the lockdown, Samerth collaborated with the District Administration of Raipur in setting up a shelter house for migrant worker families. These people were suddenly left with meager sources of income and were struggling for survival. With support from IDRF and other partners, Samerth arranged for meals for the struggling families and also set up a learning center for children along with offering livelihood training to the resident migrants at the shelter home.

Putting “smiles” on the faces during the pandemic!

Manav Seva Sansthan “Seva”, Kerala

Amid Covid-19 lockdown, IDRF and our partner-Manav Seva Sansthan helped provide new houses to 10 poor families whose houses were destroyed due to floods and landslides in Wayanad, Kerala due to heavy monsoon rains last year.

For more details about the program: https://www.idrf.org/kerala-floods-2018/

This new van will continue our mobile medical camps, cataract surgeries, malnutrition and anemia programs, and path- lab services benefitting 8,000+ patients in the remote hilly villages of Arunachal Pradesh. Read more

As a result of the pandemic, the extent of hunger and misery is widespread and millions of families are struggling to meet ends. Please support these hard-hit poor families in India by making a tax-deductible donation today! (Select Designation: COVID-19 Relief- India)  DONATE TODAY 

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