The countrywide lockdown is being eased in stages but there are all too many people out there who need help. Here are some organizations which are trying to provide aid, and you can contribute to.
Khaana Chahiye?
The pandemic and lockdown have taken a big toll on daily-wage earners, the underprivileged and the homeless. This city-based initiative by the NGO Project Mumbai makes and delivers food to those in need. You can contribute by telling them about those in need. You could even donate money, volunteer to deliver or package food. You can reach them at contact@khaanachahiye.com.
Homage Foundation
The philanthropic initiative, started by Oyo Hotels and Home board member Aditya Ghosh, is helping the poor and migrant workers by distributing water, food and medicine kits in and around Delhi. Clay studio Atelier Lālmitti has pledged 10% of its sale proceeds from Etsy, the e-commerce website for handmade goods. You can get in touch via their Twitter (@HomageFoundatn) or Instagram (@homagefoundation) accounts.
A Stitch In Time
Among the many disadvantaged communities are families in Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti, a 700-year-old settlement. A community women’s group, Sehat Sahayta Samooh, has organized a fund-raising campaign to provide dry-ration kits and personal hygiene products to the 600-plus families living there. They also volunteer in education and sanitation efforts. The group has been set up under the Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is supervising their work. You can support the cause and raise funds here.
Saving The Artist
In the fashion industry, the closure of shops has hit artisans and karigars (craftspersons) hard. To support them, 14 designers, including Archana Rao, Neeta Lulla, Nitya Bajaj, Jayanti Reddy and Shehla Khan, are hosting a sale on Instagram through the initiative’s and their own pages. A total of 28 products, such as clothes and accessories, are on sale. They have also joined hands with Mumbai-based NGO SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action) and will use the sale's proceeds to help victims of domestic violence. You can participate in the sale here.
Parikrama
A Bengaluru-based NGO, Parikrama Humanity Foundation runs schools for the underprivileged where students would get meals thrice a day. During the lockdown, the organization has been trying to raise funds to provide the students and their families with food. It is also accepting old saris and bedsheets; the students’ mothers use these to stitch bags for provisions and earn some money. You can contribute to them here.
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