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August 2020Volume-04

Together We Care

Functional Vocational Training and Research SocietyNo. 86, 3rd Cross, BDS Layout, Dr Shivram Karanth Nagar Post, RK Hegde Nagar, Bangalore - 560 077

Ph. 080 2846 5215, email: director@fvtrs.org, url: www.fvtrs.org

Editorial P.M Philip Executive Director, FVTRS

Prevent Covid-19 - Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Healthy

Itiswithagreatjoytobringoutthe4theditionofthebulletinre�lectingthegreatworksofourpartnerstorelivepeoplefromCovid-19pandemic.Covid19hasclutchedthelivesin

all the ways creating fear and terror. It has affected us either over health or over ourlivelihood. It is a great fact of appreciation to humanitarian civil society organisationsespecially FVTRS' partners for extending, needed help to the helpless people. They areactivelyservingpeopleinthecommunitieswithoutwastinganytime.Wehearfromthenewseverydayhowbadlythepandemicisincreasingbut,stillourpartnerssafelyservetheneedy,givingthemtheneededmaterialsandawarenessforsurvival.Ourpartnersareanexampletoshowtheyarethere,wheneverthecommunitiesneedtheirassistance.

Theyhavetakenaspecialcarealongwiththegovernmentforthemigrantreturneesto�indatemporarylivelihood.Itshappytonotethatourpartnershavegonebeyondthewallsofcast,creed,andreligionbutservingthehumanityasapriority.Gettinginspiredbyourpartners,letuslookbeyondthespacesofourownlivesbuttothosewhoarestrugglingtosurvivetheepidemic.Letuscontinueand�ighttogethertheCovid-19observingallsafetymeasures.Ourpartnershavealwaysbeenheroesforservingthecommunitiesintheirplaces.

COVID - 19 / Together We Care/ FVTRS /E-Bulletin

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Shree Jan Jeevan Kalyan Sansthan distributed food kits and medical kits to 776 families consist of physically

challenged, widow, nomads and migrant workers. The food kits were weighing 15 kgs consists of wheat ower, rice, chana dal, atta, salt, masalas, etc. Apart from dry ration they have distributed cooked food to over 1000 people for three days.

The organisation has also distributed 1500 masks to different categories of people such as members of S.D.M. Ofce, Panchayat Samiti, Police Station, Nagar Palika Ofce, Villages and Local Community.

SJJKS has also realized the needs of the children and adolescent girls and have distributed kits contains12 soaps, ludo, 2 painting books, one set of sanitary napkins, workbook, color pencil, eraser, pencil and scale to 1667 families in 15 villages of Bharatpur district, Rajasthan. This action helped to entertain and ease the tension of over 3900 children and 757 adolescent girls. The organisation has also distributed thrice the handwash, sanitizer, soap and mask to ASHA workers and 43 anganwadi staff.

Shree Jan Jeevan Kalyan Sansthan (SJJKS) Bharatpur, Rajasthan

Savera Foundation has given a special focus to identify the migrant workers and destitute from the time of lock-down and has supported them with different

services especially providing them with food essentials. Savera Foundation was able to reach out to over 500 families who were in dire need and distributed ration kits that included rice, wheat, spices, oil, soybeans etc.

Along with supplying these essentials, the aim of the intervention was also to make people understand and responsible for their own safety and good health during the pandemic. The organisation has organised number of awareness campaigns on Covid-19 Symptoms and the precautionary methods.

Savera Foundat ion i s continuing its efforts of

supporting the migrant workers and is extending its support beyond the distribution of essential commodities and awareness campaigns like helping people to acquire ration cards.

This will enable the people in need to get linked with government PDS system and enable them to avail food essentials regularly as well as access to other government schemes.

Savera Foundation, Jharkhand

COVID - 19 / Together We Care/ FVTRS /E-Bulletin

India with large population and relatively evolving health system, it is a challenge to contain spread of

COVID-19 and address the rush of the patient to be treated. This pandemic also created various economic challenges with restricted permission across nation. This calls for multi-pronged responses and Shrushti has done its part in this war against COVID-19. Team Shrushti has worked shoulder to shoulder with local administrat ion in health screening, rat ion distribution, awareness creation and linking people with government schemes who lacks proper

documentation. The team has provided support in Kotara, Jhadol, Phalasiya and Sayara Block of Udaipur district, Dhariyawad Block of Pratapgarh district and in Pindwara block of Sirohi District.

The organisation has donated Rs. 21,000 to SDM ofce of Jhadol Block of Udaipur district to support administration in arranging resources like food, safety kit etc. Shrushti team with support of Jumio India Private Ltd. Is arranging hygiene kits worth Rs.3.75 lakh to over 1500 tribal girls of Kotara, Phalaisya and sayara block Udaipur district which contains sanitary pads, face mask, hand soap, bag etc. Apart from the above interventions, it has distributed herbal hygiene material of worth Rs. 1,15,000 among 1500 tribal families of Udaipur with s u p p o r t o f Gujarat Narmada Val ley Fertilisers & Chemicals (GNFC).

Shrushti Seva Samiti, Udaipur, Rajasthan

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KRIPA has been actively involved in relief and other activities related to COVID-19 from the very beginning of the lockdown. The organisation has mainly focused its relief activities in its working areas at Nagda

Mahidpur, Unhel and Aagar. Kripa has distributed mask, food and other grocery materials to over 5000 families who are marginalized and migrant labourers. Apart from the distribution of essential items, the organisation has conducted awareness programmes on the need of using mask, sanitizer, hand wash and importance of social distancing etc. All these actions were done with the support of eld workers, local leaders, SHG members and youth groups.

Kripa Social Welfare Society, Ujjain (M.P,)

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COVID - 19 / Together We Care/ FVTRS /E-Bulletin

The Lockdown led to total jeopardize of normal life and well-being of the people

especially the poor who are struggling hard to make the both ends to meet. The inhabitants, mainly the daily wage earners in the Garden Reach who depends on garment factories and MGNREGA work for income were severely affected. Their life remained paused due to the lockdown of all the factories as well as

suspension of MGNREGA programme that led to sudden loss of employment. GRBBADS is a community-based organisation that has rapport with this community has understood the pathetic situation of these people.

The organisation has taken initiatives to contact some of the corporates to extend relief services to these families. As a result, M/S WIPRO responded to their request and provided nancial support for relief activities. The Self Help Groups and Skill Net groups promoted and facilitated by GRBBADS have identied 837 needy families. These families have been provided with the dry ration kit. Each kit for the family was consisting of 15 kgs of rice, 2 kgs dal, one litre edible oil, masalas and salt. The distribution of the kits was inaugurated by Janab Abdul Khalique Molla, the local MLA of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.

Garden Reach Bangla Basti Academic Development Society, (GRBBADS), Kolkata

Manav Vikas Seva Sangh, Sagar, Madhya Prashesh is established for the welfare of the

community without the distinction of caste, creed, religion, race or other limiting considerations.

The activities that are undertaken by MVSS in past few years are mainly focused on Sustainable livelihood promotion through sustainable agriculture development, and income generation activities to improve and strengthen the economic condition of the marginalized downtrodden people of the target area.

From 2015 Fr. Thomas Philip took the charge as the Secretary and Director of Manav Vikas Seva Sangh. His vast knowledge and experience in the social and educational eld transformed into holy zeal to serve the poor and downtrodden. At present Manav Vikas is handling 36 both major and micro projects and implementing it in 356 villages of Sagar, Raisen, Vidisha, Ashoknagar and Guna districts. A humble beginning which was started with eight centers and few villages have now reached to a point where they are dealing with 356 villages, 56 Slums, 53 Wards covering 56879 Women, 2670 Prisoners, 5632 Stakeholders, 17896 Children, 3311 Teachers, 35412 Men. His commitment to serve the humanity swung hard after his leadership took turn from educational eld to Social work upliftment.

The organization has done remarkable intervention during COVID crisis, reaching to more than 3000 households and migrant workers. The Director has been honored as COVID Yodha 2020 and Karamveer Ratna Samman by VHP & Bajarang Dal and Sarv Dharm Sadbhavana Munch, Bhopal respectively.

Manav Vikas Seva Sangh, Sagar, MP

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The campaign 'Be United' was an online campaign that aimed to promote awareness among the masses on

COVID-19 by transferring veried and authentic information. It had engaged people across globe creatively to present their views 'How we can combat this pandemic'. People's entries were invited to participate, where they can present their thought by making Poster, Animated movie, Write-up, Research paper and simply with a thoughtful quotation.

The purpose was to create positivity to engage people constructively to imagine what transformation this pandemic may bring in this world, how we as a society should ght it and how this change should be received by us as family or society. This campaign had also motivated people to donate

substantial amount from their savings to Prime Minister's and Chief Minister's COVID-19 relief fund. Campaign was symbolically launched on 5th April,2020 when whole India “lighting lamp” in their homes at 09:00 PM for 9 minutes and ended on 15th June 2020 with announcing the winners.

Under the campaign, cash prize worth of Rs. 80,100 was awarded to the winners and 200 T-shirts worth Rs. 1, 00,000was awarded to 200 participants scored between 3-15 positions in respective category. This campaign had reached to ve countries and more than million people in India and received over 1400 participation entries of people from 24 states in India.

This campaign was launched to create positivity by constructively engaging people in area of their interest whether it is painting, writing, video editing, research, dances or social engagement, etc.

SHRUSHTI,

COVID - 19 / Together We Care/ FVTRS /E-Bulletin

SIRDS is doing various types of activities in the remote villages of Northern districts of Karanataka

State.

They have initiated a volunteer group for creating awareness, distribution of grocery, vegetable kits, Seeds as well as emergency medical care.

So far they have reached 4,10,612 people and have provided dry ration kits, face masks & awareness on the prevention methods of Corona virus.

The essential dry food items packaged and transported to the villages at their door step.

SIRDS team is working day and night to ensure that the poor of people in remote villages stay safe and remain healthy.

SIRDS, Koppal. Karnataka

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Matruschaya social welfare society, Bhandaraj has distributed nutrition mix

powder (Sattu – 1 KG) to 900 korku tribal children under the age of 0-6 in 14 villages of Chikhaldara block of Amravati district and 9 villages of Akot block of Akola district, Maharashtra state. The nutrition mix powder (sattu) prepared from fresh and good quality grains and materials by following all health &

hygiene measures. Pack of 1 KG of sattu powder contains ingredients like 1. Black gram -200 gram, Mung – 200 gram, wheat – 200 gram, ground nut – 200 gram, Rice – 70 gram, Soyabean - 30 gram and Jaggary – 100 gram.

The organisation has also distributed sanitation kits (Hand Wash - 1 and Hand towel- 1) to 530 tribal Pregnant and lactating mothers (ANC / PNC) in 14 villages of Chikhaldara block of Amravati district and 9 villages of Akot block of Akola district. Another intervention was distribution of grains andgrocery kits to 70 most marginalized families from Bhandaraj and nearby villages. The Block Administrative ofcer (Tahsildar) of Chikhaldara has appreciated the campaign work of MSSWS to contain the COVID-19 and distribution of food items and other essential material to the most needy by awarding a memento.

Matruschaya social welfare society (MSSWS), Amravati ,Maharashtra

Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society has been actively involved in providing relief

measures to the people who need urgent support due to lockdown. The organization has reached out to 2704 persons with various kinds of supports. The organisation has provided dry ration kits to 1139 families, face mask to 3570 persons, hygienic kits to 1060 persons and health drinks to 1060 persons. The trained youth in garment making of SMSSS have stitched over 3600 masks for distribution.

SMSSS, Shimoga, Karnataka Bhartiya Jan Kalyan Evam Prashikshan Sansthan (BJKEPS), Ghazipur (U.P.)

he organization has conducted ward level Tmeetings to create awareness on prevention measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. The attendees of the awareness programmes were members of Gram Panchayat, CBOs and skill net groups. People were made aware about usage of mask, physical distancing, hand wash, nutritious food habit etc.

They were also taught to download the Arogya Setu app. In the beginning of the lockdown, the organization had distributed dry ration to needy families around Gazipur area.

COVID - 19 / Together We Care/ FVTRS /E-Bulletin

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CASE Studies

Savera Foundation

Rajesh comes from a completely uneducated family of 12 members. The little bit of rocky land that they possess does not support farming. Hence, Rajesh has migrated to Gujarat and worked as a mica picker

in a unit. The remuneration that he has been getting from the job was not sufcient to take care of his family even then he continued the job for the survival of the family. The breakout of COVID-19 and its aftereffects increased his hardship in life.

The declaration of nationwide lockdown led to closure of the factory where Mr Rajesh was working. As a result, Mr Rajesh lost his job and the meagre income he was earning. The initial days of lockdown Mr Rajesh managed his food with his little savings. Later, when all his savings were over, he had to spend days in hunger. He was desperate to go back to home but due to the lockdown restrictions and unavailability of transport facilities it did not work. Hence, he had to go through difcult days. Once travel ban was partially lifted Mr Rajesh came back to home with much difculties. At home, Rajesh underwent fourteen days of quarantine.

Rajesh and his family faced difculties to nd resource to buy their meals. This was the case of families of many of the migrant workers.

Savera Foundation realised the hardship that the migrants had to go through due to the lockdown in terms of income and food. The organisation extended support to the families of its focus area including Rajesh's family. Rajesh and his family were very much delighted and satised after receiving the ration kit from Savera Foundation. They acknowledged that if they had not been served with the essential food items by Savera Foundation, it would have been difcult for them to survive as they were almost going through hunger.

Rajesh Hembram:Age- 34 years; Village- Sewatand; Panchayat- Thansinghdih; Block- Tisri

Gramin Vikas Sewa Sansthan (GVSS) has been actively involved in COVID related activities since the lockdown is introduced. They

were continuously doing the relief activities for the needy ones in Pratapgarh distr ict o f Ut tar Pradesh. Women are the most suffered and worried about the food for their families.

G V S S h a s i d e n t i e d 3 7 0 0 marginalised farmer women and e x t e n d e d i t s s u p p o r t . T h e

organisation has distributed food items of 30 kg per family that consisted of rice, wheat our, rened oil, pulses, vegetables, spices, salt etc.

GVSS, Uttar Pradesh

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LIVING WITH COVID

We have been living with Corona Virus Infection for the last 8 months in the world. All Countries

have been affected now; prevalence being varying from country to country, racing for the top position sarcastically.

Now it cannot be defined as public health disorder; rather, a community health disorder; because the outcome of Corona Virus Affection results from the behaviour of a particular community or country or culture.

What have we learnt in last 8 months?

1. It is not simple respiratory (URTI) or lower respiratory (LRTI) disease. It can affect the Heart, Brain, Intestines and Liver also.

2. Majority of the positive people are asymptomatic especially the young people; roaming around public without mask and with a lot of physical contact; they infect the elderly people , people with co-morbid conditions l ike Diabetes, Cardiac Ailments, Hypertension and Asthmatics.

3. In addition to contact and droplet infection, it can behave as an airborne disease like an aerosol spray. Faecal (Stool) excretion of virus has been confirmed by sewage water analysis.

4. Many types of virus testing are available now, like swab, saliva, blood samples and a positive diagnosis can be made within 25 minutes confirmation. Extensive

tests are being done for mass screening by mobile testing vans.

5. Zero positivity is new concept. If it is positive means, one has been exposed to virus contamination developed antibodies to the virus without active symptoms. Now mass scale serology is being conducted to study the impact, in regional-wise population. For example, the sero-positivity rate is around 27% in New Delhi, MMC, around 30% positivity rate in Ganjam District, Odisha where I live.

6. Clear cut guidelines for the management of covid patients from ICMR, CDC (USA) are available. The different stages, organ specific drug management schedules are being practised, resulting in high cure rate in the last two and half months.

7. Home care, covid specific hospitals and Govt and Corporate Hospitals, and referral guidelines have been established

8. Quarantine covid hotspot, red-zone, green-zone are well-defined now by weekly, by-weekly data analysis. Relaxation norms are practised by data evaluation.

9. Obesity, very thick neck, metabolic syndrome are the highest risks factors, followed by diabetes, hyper-tension, smoking and drug abuse.

10. Mild to moderate alcohol consumption(less than 90ml in 24hrs has no effect on covid outcomes).

WHAT WE HAVE TO DO NOW?

1. In addition to physical contact, safe distance maintenance, putting on good mask correctly, I have put a copy of CDC (USA) communication below.

2. Do not give importance to herd-immunity. It may protect you for a period of 3 months only and it will take long time for exposure for a country like India. Mind you, the corona-virus has already gone 8-9 genetic mutations, since its detection. Antibodies developed for one strain may not be effective for another strain.

3. Vaccine development trails being under-taken by several countries including India. We have wait till the arrival of a effective vaccine.

4. Regular physical exercise in any format for half-hour practised daily is the best way to boost the immunity as well as strict diet control.

5. Hydroxychloroquine 400mg/week has been recommended by ICMR for front-line health care providers only.

6. Trails are being done with old vaccines like BCG Vaccine, MMR Vaccine to boost the immunity. Results are awaited.

Dr. P.S.N RAO (M.D)ODISHA,

Ramkrishnanagar, Lochapada