The COVID19 pandemic affected the marginalised communities in India the most. With migrant labour being out of jobs and forced to walk home, and families going hungry, civil society in India stepped up to provide relief. PRIA, having previously worked with the communities in Ajmer, Muzaffarpur, and Jhansi, under the Engaged Citizens, Responsive Cities project, chose to aid the most marginalised families in these regions.
PRIA’s efforts, supported by the European Union in India, were aimed at meeting the basic needs of the families by providing ration and hygiene products. We distributed hygiene kits containing masks, sanitisers, sanitary napkins, soap, mosquito repellant, and bleaching powder to 600 families across the three cities. The ration packs contained dal, rice, atta, milk powder, oil, salt and spices, sugar, and tea, and were distributed to 468 families.
The work was carried out in conjunction with the Settlement Improvement Committees and Citizen Forums, to identify the families in need and to ensure the distribution process was managed efficiently and while ensuring physical distancing. 