During 2020, people in this part of the country were reeling under the effects of the twin crisis of Covid 19 and Amphan super-cyclone. Sahay Foundation, with its limited resources, decided to reach out to the people in distress and mitigate their hardships immediately.
Objectives
- Reach out to the families of daily wage earners, worst affected by Covid 19 lockdown.
- Make those families aware of the need for wearing masks.
Initiatives undertaken
- Distribution of ration packets, containing food grains and vegetables weekly.
- Distribution of handmade cotton masks and surgical masks
- Distribution of dry food packets to the homeless
Duration: April-June,2020 and May-June 2021
The Foundation responded to the sufferings of the people when super cyclone, Amphan ravaged the Sunderbans area on the evening of 20th May’2020 and reached out to them with humanitarian aid.
Based on the ground reports from relief workers and acquaintances we reached out to a few villages in Namkhana and Kulpi blocks of South 24 Parganas district with relief materials.
The Block officials and local school teachers provided us the last mile connectivity for identifying the victims and equitable distribution of aid. Relief materials were handed over directly to the affected villagers.
Objectives
- To reach out to the affected population of Fraserganj, Kakdwip, Basanti, Chunakhali and Ghashkhali under Bhangore II block, South 24 Parganas in order to assess the damage and identify the victims of the calamity with the help of local school teachers and local social workers.
- To arrange immediate relief materials required for rehabilitation.
Initiatives undertaken
1. Distribution of relief materials containing Tarpaulin, sarees, lungis and halogen tablets to affected villagers in the end of May,2020, at Debinibas village, Block Namkhana, South 24 Parganas.
2. Three families headed by women were identified for renovation and reconstruction of their houses, which got damaged entirely by super cyclone at Garon Bose 3 village, Block Basanti, South 24 Parganas
3. Encouraging mangrove plantation along the bank of Bidyadhori at aTridibnagar Village, Block Basanti, South 24 Parganas.
Duration: May-September,2020.
Impact
i)Three villages ii) 180 households or around 1000 people
Children education and covid-19: Year 2022 onwards
Objectives
• Get the children back to school after two years of long absence due to Covid-19 lockdown.
• Help the children to catch up what they’ve missed during Covid-19 school closure.
Initiatives undertaken
i) Distribution of education kits each containing articles like pencil box, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, ball point pen, water bottle, school bag, 6 exercise books, one box of crayons, drawing book.
Impact
1. Two Primary schools , Bhangore II block, South 24 parganas, West Bengal
2. 120 children from Tribal households.
Stories from Field
Story of Smt. Jharna Sardar and Kailash Naskar : They all live in village Garan Bose 3, a remote village of Basanti block, South 24 parganas. They were devastated by the twin effects of crisis like Covid 19 Pandemic, super cyclone Amphan etc. After amphan the Foundation members found them jobless due to pandemic lockdown and homeless after their small huts got damaged by Amphan cyclone in May, 2020.
By six months time Kailash Naskar reconstructed his house and started new livelihood venture of poultry business with the small help and technical guidance he got from the Foundation. Today his child is going to school and he is looking forward to expanding his small business.
Jharna Sardar was a single member household. She lives by the side of the river Bidyadhori. Today she stand on her own feet with the little financial help and guidance she received from the Foundation members after courageously handling initial shock of twin crisis of Covid 19 Pandemic and Amphan Cyclone.