The onset of 2020 thunderstruck the globe with the incoming unforeseen COVID-19 or Coronavirus and a two-year-old period for pandemic shifted the world in many ways for all beings. The pandemic made people more vulnerable physically, emotionally and mentally. Each individual had to face their levels of hardship during that time. People indulge more in online and digital media to relieve their issues and worries. Turning their wounds into wisdom was the only path to survival in harsh conditions.
The audience indulged themselves in the pleasure of internet trends and social media. They paid attention to online films, series and relaunched many Door Darshan shows on tv. The Elite and Upper middle-class population could control their situation with financial savings and support.
However, the underprivileged sections did not enjoy the same privilege as others. The scarcity of food supply, the rising unemployment, and inadequate and expensive medical facilities made their life extremely hard in those times. It forced many to shift back to their hometowns, especially daily wage workers such as construction workers, small vendors and sellers and labourers to shift from cities to their villages/hometowns for survival. The rural population suffered severely as compared to the metropolitan cities and towns.
The government took measures by providing free rations and other preventive tools such as masks, sanitisers and disinfectants. Unfortunately, people from distant and barren lands could not receive such facilities due to scarcity and corruption. The benefitted party of middlemen between the government and its people disturbed the estimated equilibrium of the governmental measures and precautions and made both parties unhappy.
RAAY Foundation came forward to help the needy and severely affected population, especially people in rural areas who found it difficult to make ends meet to boost their fighting spirit got uplifted by the pandemic. They collaborated with Pagaria Welfare Foundation to initiate a basic amenities donation drive across areas of the state of Maharashtra like Majalgaon, Saharanpur, Dahanu, Badlapur, Bhiwandi, Filter-Pada (Powai), Kandivali and Suker in Rajasthan to support vulnerable beneficiary groups that included daily workers, tribal communities, health workers, widowed women, and security personnel. The Dry ration kit consisted of Wheat Flour, Rice, Dal, Sugar, Oil, Groundnuts and many types of essential items in a quantity that would last for almost two months to help numerous communities to combat the second deadly wave of COVID-19. Around 1000 beneficiaries received help from Raay Foundation.
Hospitals were supported by providing Hygiene kits comprised of critical items such as thermal guns, oximeters, aprons, masks, sanitisers and gloves and by assisting patients experiencing various medical issues such as Paraplegia, Varicose veins, Jaundice and Abnormal uterine bleeding. Soap and a local kadha were delivered to enable an immunity boost to fight the deadly virus.
Raay Foundation made efforts by launching holistic approaches to enable the community to cope with difficult situations. The migrant families, widows and elderly citizens who faced an onslaught of the pandemic were taken care of with their appropriate nutritional needs with the impact of the hygiene and ration drives.
RAAY Livelihood projects aimed to re-establish people and erase the barriers between the individuals and their potential to learn, improve, and bloom to find their own identity so they can afford the dignity and strength they need to break free of the cycle.
-Contribution for RAAY Foundation by Prakriti Didwani
