“It’s essential that organizations and individuals capable of contributing to the cause of COVID-19 relief do so, in order to ensure that those who are living in destitute circumstances have access to basic human necessities.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faces an unprecedented problem. India has been affected very badly. Besides those afflicted by the virus, the whole nation is in distress. Economic decline is higher because of the unemployment rate, and people can’t even go to churches to worship.

It was on March 2020 when the COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in the world. Because of this, many establishments, jobs, schools, and other well-being activities were put on hold. A worldwide quarantine was implemented, and it affected many lives. COVID-19 was not a joke, it was one of the greatest challenges in humanity, and the only thing that can save us from this is with the help of each other. Because of this, Sahasra Deepika looked for a way on how they can help the people of Bangalore, even for a small thing.

Having walked 4-5 kilometers in the rain, hundreds of people lined up in Kallubalu village at 6:00 a.m. on May 16th in hopes of receiving ration kits distributed by Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (VKV) in collaboration with Sahasra Deepika International for Education (SDIE) as part of the VKV-SDIE community outreach program.  By partnering with VKV, an organization that is already working with desperately poor families in the area, SDIE is able target the places most in need of relief, serve them and their residents more effectively, and generate greater impact. SDIE is grateful to the funding Wipro and Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives have provided the program. With their support, over 700 relief kits have been provided to families in villages in and around the Jigani, Bangalore-Kallubalu, Vaddara Palya, and Koppa Gate areas, all within a 5-mile radius of Sahasra Deepika’s campus.

As an organization that cares for underprivileged girls, we are keenly aware of the hardships that impoverished individuals and families face everyday. The poverty-ridden circumstances that most individuals, such as those in the crowd awaiting ration kits, are already coping with have been worsened by greater food insecurity and joblessness brought on by COVID-19.  This desperate need for food relief in villages around SDIE was palpably demonstrated through numbers: upon hearing the news of the VKV-SDIE community outreach program, the amount of people who showed up in hopes of receiving a ration kit was over double the amount of ration kits available for distribution. 

The ration kits, costing Rs 500 or about 7 USD each, consist of 3 kgs of rice, 2 Kgs of flour, 1 kg of salt, 1 liter of oil, 1 kg of sugar, 1 kg of dal and a few spices. They’ve been distributed to 350 families weekly, including the elderly and the physically or intellectually disabled, providing them with a week’s worth of food.  Over the course of distributing these kits, the VKV-SDIE Outreach Program also identified the need for products such as soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. In most of these communities, individuals have to walk far to get to a doctor. Ensuring that they have access to personal hygiene essentials— which are oftentimes more difficult to access and acquire than food— are crucial to their health and well-being. Thus, going forward, the outreach program will distribute personal hygiene kits.

Despite the generous donations and funding that the VKV-SDIE Outreach Program has received, this initiative alone cannot alleviate the deprivations and worsened situations facing individuals during this time.  It’s essential that organizations and individuals capable of contributing to the cause of COVID-19 relief do so, in order to ensure that those who are living in destitute circumstances have access to basic human necessities. It’s the least we can do as a global community in response to the disproportionately severe effects of the pandemic on the lifestyles of those who are the most socio-economically vulnerable.

Shanthi Ramakrishna is a rising sophomore studying Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. She has spent many summers at Sahasra Deepika and considers the girls there to be her sisters. Shanthi’s been inspired by them and by SDIE’s mission to do what she can to be a point of light for someone in need. In her free time, she loves to have jam sessions with her dad and sister, bake blueberry tarts, and idolize her pet Siamese cat.