JAMMU, May 10: Distribution of ration and essential items among the needy persons continued here today.
DIGP (Ops) North Jammu CRPF PC Jha distributed packets of dry ration to needy and poor families in Channi Himmat and Dilli areas. The distribution programme was organized in association with V2 Care HSW Foundation. Neeraj, D/C Staff Officer, Padmaja Jha, General Secretary of the Foundation, Sham and staff of CRPF were present on the occasion.
“Nar Seva-Narayan Seva” Humanitarian project was accomplished in the areas of Muthi and Roop Nagar in which 110 migrant labour families were the beneficiaries. The programme was organized by the BJP activists, Daughters of Panun Kashmir, Inspiration Foundation and Cradle 2 Crayons School jointly. Present on the occasion were Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, Vijay Raina, Sarpanch, Chowgam-Kulgam, Virender Raina, President, Panun Kashmir, Rakesh Kaul, Councillor, Mattan MC, PN Tikoo, Anila Tikoo, Coordinator and Principal of the school respectively, Vimla Chrungoo, Secretary, DoPK, Sanjay Bhat, Sarpanch, Rajpura-Pulwama, senior activist Sandeep Kisroo, Vishal Fotedar, Ravi Raina, Vinod Chrungoo, Deepansh Kisroo and Sunita Sahu.
Ankush Raina JKPYC Secretary distributed ration to needy people in RS Pura area of District Jammu.
Vishal Jotshi Secretary BJP Kashmir Displaced District Secretary along Booth President of Kheer Bhawani Mandal Karuna Jotshi distributed ration and other essential items among 25 poor and needy families in Udheywalla and Rama Krishna areas under the supervision of President BJP KDD TN Bhat and General Secretary Vinod Pandita. Pavan Jotshi, Vinod Bhat Treasurer BJP KDD, Vivek Jotshi social worker and Dolly Kachroo were active volunteers of distribution team.
A religious organization in Reasi District, Shri Durga Natak Mandli is feeding patients and their attendants free of cost in District Hospital Reasi. Sanjeev Khajuria President of the Organization, Abhinav Pandora Volunteer of the Shri Durga Natak Mandli and many others are part of this distribution programme.
A team of activists led by BJP Working Committee Member UT J&K Arun Sharma visited Chilladanda, Kumi, Badla Brahmana, Keni, Nagrota, Kamila, Moutlian and Barhakheter and distributed ration and essential items among the needy persons. Sharma was accompanied by Om Parkash, Sushil Kumar, Sewa Singh, Sub Romesh Chander and Kajal Sharma. Sharma appealed to the people to cooperate with the Corona warriors. People also projected their various demands to which Sharma assured redressal after discussing with the concerned authorities.
There are many people in need of help and Project Udaan intends to hand-hold the sex workers and their families till the Covid-19 crisis is over.
The nationwide lockdown has left the streets of Kolkata’s busiest red light area, Sonagachi, deserted for the longest time in history. Business in Sonagachi, the oldest and largest red-light area in Asia, has come to a halt.
With a sharp decline in the number of customers, sex workers are struggling to make their ends meet amid the COVID-19 scare. The only earners in their family, a number of them are unable to pay their house rents.
A massive group of about 8,000 women working in Sonagachi witness the footfall of about 30,000 people on an average each day.
In the view of the current situation in Sonagachi, The Art Of Living’s Project Udaan’s volunteers extended help to the workers of Sonagachi by distributing essentials in the area this month.
“In phase one of relief work, around 200 sex workers have been benefited by the Art Of Living. We have provided dry ration and each pack includes 4 kg rice, 2 kg potato, 2 kg wheat flour, 500 gm lentils and 500 gm oil,” Arnab Acharjee, General Secretary of Project Udaan, tells The Logical Indian.
“Not only this, but we will also make them aware of the coronavirus. We will make them understand and follow social distancing. Project Udaan is now trying to reach out to almost 500 sex workers, who are in distress due to the lockdown,” he adds.
Art of Living’s Project Udaan has been working for the welfare of the sex workers and their children in Sonagachi since 2012. In the time of distress, the foundation’s volunteers were contacted for help in getting basic supplies. A WhatsApp group of AOL volunteers jumped to action and raised Rs 1.5 lakh within a week. Post that, they had to arrange the ration and get the packets ready. All of this had to be done keeping social distancing and government guidelines in mind.
“It’s getting very difficult for us to survive this. There are no customers and we have nothing to eat. Many were mostly surviving on water, food is the biggest problem. Some house owners are supporting us when it comes to rent but food is the biggest concern,” Priya (name changed), one of the sex workers, told Arnab.
The volunteers associated with Project Udaan are working towards managing ration and getting things lined up for phase two. Arnab Acharjee mentions that this it there are many people in need of help and Project Udaan intends to hand-hold the sex workers and their families till the COVID-19 crisis is over.
“To survive, we are playing indoor games to keep ourselves engaged. Otherwise, we would go into depression. Art of Living has been in touch with us all this while and has given us food and essentials,” Nirmala (name changed), another sex worker, told Arnab.
The volunteers associated with Project Udaan are working towards managing ration and getting things lined up for phase two. Arnab Acharjee mentions that there are many people in need of help and Project Udaan intends to hand-hold the sex workers and their families till the COVID-19 crisis is over.
With live music gigs down to zero because of Covid-19, many musicians have taken their talent online, to their balconies and to streaming services. And most are seeing this is as an opportunity to work on new music. Then there are also those who have stepped up to the occasion in a different way, by associating with NGOs and foundations to provide food and medical kits to the affected. Some have been a part of fundraising concerts. The Telegraph spoke to a few such artistes.
Raftaar shares an image of his sister, who is a frontline health worker, on InstagramCourtesy: Rahul Jhangiani and Raftaar’s Instagram page
Indie gestures
Rapper Raftaar says helping out is “basic human responsibility” and he is apparently feeding 600 people each day and is giving out basic kitchen staples to 300 people. Not only that, he is feeding 600 dogs daily. The 31-year-old has his NGO to fall back on, 4Dog’Sake India (partnered by Sanchi Budhiraja), and its parent NGO, Parivartan ‘The Change’. “I had 12-year-old kids texting me saying, ‘Brother I only have Rs 10 in my pocket and I’ve donated it. You please try and make do with this’,” the Delhi-based musician told The Telegraph.
The rapper and his team collect and distribute dishes like rajma chawal, dal chawal and other ready-to-eat items, besides packets containing oil, atta, chawal, dal, salt and spices that are delivered by his partner’s (Sanchi Budhiraja) father. “We also gave them masks the first time we went to visit,” said the musician. Besides helping out in Delhi, he is also doing his bit in Mumbai where he currently resides. “I’ve got a huge pack of Pedigree and I, or a friend of mine, go on alternate days to feed dogs. This way we also get to meet a lot of dogs and it’s the best form of interaction at the moment,” he said.
“Wearing a mask is important for you as much as it is for the other person,” said Siddhanth Kapoor aka DJ Bullzeye (from Mumbai), who is volunteering. The techno artiste and actor started helping out on March 20 by associating with different organisations. His idea was to attach masks to food packets. “I have given out masks to different places like Nair Hospital and Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases through other places like Jamnabai Narsee School and Art of Living School and so on, which are being given out with their food packets. I’ve even tied up with Santino Morea of Roots Premier League as well,” he said. So far he has given out 5,000-plus masks to people with help of a fundraiser started by him on www.ketto.org.
Deepesh Sharma in a PPE suitDeepesh Sharma
With depleting stocks of equipment kits for frontline workers, Deepesh Sharma has stepped in by donating 100 PPE kits to the district of Bandipora in Jammu & Kashmir. The kits that have been sent out by the techno artiste includes a gown, goggles, face masks, shoe cover and a bag… all disposable. Being the proprietor of Kosher Organics Goa (an organic store in Goa with business partner Fahad Mir) he was able to send across the kits and has also donated 20 per cent of the earnings from the store to the frontline workers. “It is important to help out, even if it’s in the smallest of ways,” said the artiste.
Meanwhile in Calcutta, what started with two friends has eventually become a group called Joining Hands. A part of this group is DJ Akash Rohira. The group started by feeding 200 people per day and it has grown to 400-odd people. “Without the help of any NGO or organisations we have done this. It is just a large group of friends and family who are taking part in this mass feeding programme. The Kolkata Police has helped us out,” said the DJ. Each day a group of four volunteers cook the food at Amrit Vela Mandir, which is then sent out for distribution. “The items need to be prepared on time because if ingredients fall short, we won’t be able to source the same from vendors as they are not available all the time,” he said. They serve dishes like khichdi, aloo paratha and luchi with aloo.
Gurudath Kamath, a DJ, leadership and transformation coach and the author of his debut book The Inner Guru, has stepped up in Bangalore with his mates Mithesh U.S., Vikram Suvarna, Sushmitha Acharya and the event management company Sangachadwam. He and his group of friends have been delivering food and groceries to those in need during the pandemic. “We started by giving food to people near our place and then more people joined in. NGOs and foundations like Geetha Foundation and Noor Foundation got in touch, so we collaborated,” he said. Kamath and his team first decided to give out cooked food but later thought that giving groceries would be more beneficial. On a daily basis, the psy-trance DJ and his team give out 80 to 100 packets containing rice, atta, dal, masalas and oil. The difficulty? “Not everyone has an ID to go give food and the demand is more than the funds. Keeping the continuity in supply is hard. We are also giving milk and food to kids and stray dogs but our main target is people from slums, people living in huts, and cleaners and sweepers,” he said.
“We have worked with 10 arts organisations, working at grassroot level across 10 states. They became our on-ground partners and identified the artistes who are going to receive funds from the campaign — Assistance for Disaster Affected Artistes” — Shubha MudgalThe Telegraph India
Let’s collaborate
Hindustani classical artiste and author Shubha Mudgal is looking out for artistes and musicians around the country with her teammates Aneesh Pradhan (musician and scholar), Arundhati Ghosh (cultural practitioner), Mona Irani (producer and casting director), Rahul Vohra (actor, director and arts consultant) and Sameera Iyengar (cultural practitioner). They have started the Assistance for Disaster Affected Artistes (ADAA) campaign, keeping in mind that events and performances have been cancelled mid-March onwards and there is little hope of things getting back to normal in the near future. “All performers and artistes are facing the challenge, with no revenue-making opportunities. For many who do not have adequate savings or resources, the future appears bleak,” said Shubha Mudgal.
The crowdfunded campaign has raised money to support 100 artistes for a period of six months. The campaign has been designed to help artistes, performers, arts teachers, instrument-makers and other arts-related professionals from 10 Indian states. “We have worked with 10 arts organisations, working at grassroot level across 10 states. They became our on-ground partners and identified the artistes who are going to receive funds from the campaign. These organisations are Jana Sanskriti (West Bengal), Imphal Talkies (Manipur), Samudaya (Karnataka), Assam Cultural Academy (Assam), Sanatkada Trust (Uttar Pradesh), Pehchaan (Rajasthan), Yalgaar Sanskrutik Manch (Maharashtra), Chennai Kalai Kuzhu (Tami Nadu), Nrityanjali Academy (Telangana) and Sarthi (Delhi),” she added. People like A.R. Rahman (A.R. Rahman Foundation), Shaan, Vidya Balan and Abhay Deol are said to have contributed towards the cause.
Sitarist Purbayun Chatterjee has come up with a platform called Musicians’ Digistage for musicians to continue playing and raise funds at the same time.Purbayun Chatterjee
On Day One of the lockdown, sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee came up with an idea to help musicians. He launched a platform with his singer and wife Gayatri Asokan called Musicians’ Digistage where not only musicians but audio engineers, photographers and others can showcase their work. “At the moment we have a lot of free time and people are worried about what would happen. So this platform will give people a role to play and a sense of purpose,” said the sitarist. The launch of the platform started with the release of a remake of Humko man ki shakti dena, which featured Gayatri Asokan, Priyanka Barve, Kshitij Tarey and Shivam Mahadevan on vocals, Purbayan on the sitar, Nandini Shankar on the violin, Sarang Kulkarni on the sarod, Shikhar Naad on the djembe, Ameya Naik on percussions, and Ishaan Ghosh and Ojas Adhiya on the tabla. The platform will also do live streams which are associated with event platforms. Profits will be donated to help artistes during the pandemic as he has tied up with Musicians Covid Fund (musicianscovidfund.com) which benefits musicians and bands and has donated free content for Digital India Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
A bunch of producers from around the country have shown their creativity. Oceantied curated a project called 22-2 in which he invited 22 producers to participate in a beat challenge in which each producer would have to submit a sample. Now with those 22 submitted samples the artistes had to create a full track in two days. The artistes featured are Escape Sequence, EchoFloat, Lacuna, Derain, Ankan, Hashbass, NATE08, thebigfatminimalist, Pardafash, GMB, Tanzen, Yung.Raj, Three Oscillators, RAKA, Miredo, IO, Khaosound, Oceantied, Zokhuma, Npstr, POTTER and Ayush.
How does it help? The money made from the compilations will be donated to charity. All music sales from the Bandcamp page (a website where one can listen to purchased music) for a period of two weeks will be donated to www.goonj.org where the music itself will be released as pay what you want. And yes, the music can be downloaded for free as well. “It started off very organically with Oceantied getting in touch with around 10-12 of us and everyone added more producers to the project. Once the beat challenge was complete, it felt fulfilling creatively and then we collectively came up with the thought of raising money for organisations that are helping those in need,” said Ketan Bahirat of Oceantied.
“The horizon seems grim for the music industry. The more blessed ones felt like this was a small part we could play to help those who are displaced and need help,” said Zokhuma.
Zokuma (left) b2b with Oceantied involved artistes for a beat challengeZokhuma and Oceantied
One world
The UN, World Health Organisation (WHO), Global Citizen and Lady Gaga had joined hands on April 16 to put up a stay-at-home concert called One World: Together At Home to celebrate and support healthcare workers and frontliners who are battling against coronavirus. The show included broadcasts of leading global health experts along with performances by Alicia Keys, Amy Poehler, Awkwafina, Camila Cabello, Celine Dion, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, LL COOL J, Lupita Nyong’o, Matthew McConaughey, Oprah Winfrey, Pharrell Williams, Rolling Stones and many others. Contributions made were transferred to WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund to equip frontliners. The fund helped ship over two million items of PPE and supplies to over 68 countries. This includes over 700,000 surgical masks, 51,000 N95 masks, 727,000 gloves, 85,000 gowns, nearly 14,000 goggles and over 20,000 face shields.
Some of our Indian performers are also taking their talent online through Facebook Live from where viewers can donate a certain amount of money to foundations and organisations. One such artiste is Nikhita Gandhi who is associated with www.goonj.com and did a live show on April 26. Some other artistes who are dong online fundraising concerts are Shilpa Rao, Amit Mishra and Shashwat Singh.
Yes, the times are challenging and several musicians have tested Covid-19 positive — like Pink, John Taylor of Duran Duran, David Bryan of Bon Jovi and Ed O’Brien of Radiohead — but speaking to musicians across India, the message that’s coming through is that we will get through the tough times. There is hope.
The current lockdown has us all in the comfort wings of our homes but has had a deep impact on the livelihood of the daily wage workers. To support them in the hour of need, the initiative, #IstandwithHumanity was started on social media by Shri Shri Ravi Shankar with the support of Rajkumar Hirani and Mahaveer Jain. This initiative spread across quickly, people from the television and the entertainment industry stepped forward, generously marking their contribution to support the nation and urging the others to also join.
Pankaj Dubey, a very well known author and screenwriter who is also the official spokesperson for this initiative expressing his gratitude also shares, “It’s so encouraging to share that with the support of friends from Bollywood and even other walks of life and the amazing execution by The Art of Living Foundation , we have reached out to more than 3.5 lakhs needy people in 9 states across India. We are constantly working and strive to touch 1 million people soon. We are thankful to everyone who is supporting our initiative #iStandWithHumanity for their love.”
Leading personalities like Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor, Rohit Shetty, Ajay Devgn and many others from the industry have joined hands and taken part actively in this initiative.
This initiative is not just limited to one city, it has even reached Delhi, providing for the daily wage workers with food and ensuring that they can be at peace. It’s amazing to see how people from all walks of life are doing their bit to save us from the wrath of the coronavirus. This initiative has a PAN-INDIA reach of 9 states and is growing tremendously.
An initiative as beautiful as this, requires an input from everyone in their own way to be successful and surely the fraternity came in full support. The way this initiative has got its momentum is truly because of the support it has received from all across.
Filmmaker Karan Johar on Saturday announced his support to various relief funds and a host of NGOs to help those affected by the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The producer will be donating to PM-CARES and Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Relief Fund through his banner Dharma Productions.
The production house will also be helping out not-for-profits such as Give India Fundraisers, GOONJ, Zomato Feeding India, International Association for Human Values (IAHV) and Producers Guild of India.
“Over the past month India has stood united in this decision to stay home and stay safe until we overcome this pandemic. But there is so much more to do in order to win the fight against this dreaded disease,” the production house said in a statement.
“With the lockdown being extended, it’s only going to get harder on everyone, especially those workers and technicians who rely on daily wages for their livelihood. They are in a situation in which they don’t have clarity on where their next meal is coming from…and that can be scary…. very scary,” it added.
The company said that it is the moral responsibility of every individual to help those affected by the lockdown.
“They are in this situation through no fault of their own, and we believe it’s our moral responsibility to help them as much as we possibly can that is why the entire Dharma family has come together to extend our support to the various causes initiated by the government and host of NGOs to help those affected by this lockdown. There is still a lot to be done, and this is our contribution to the cause. Let us all unite and fight COVID together,” the statement further added. According to the health ministry, death toll due to COVID-19 rises to 480 in country; cases climb to 14,378.
Kareena Kapoor Khan along with husband Saif Ali Khan and son Taimur have decided to made their contribution for battling with the novel coronavirus pandemic. The family has taken pledge to support UNICEF, GIVE INDIA and the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) by donating funds. They even urged everyone to contribute for the same as per their convenience. Making the announcement today Kareena on her recently opened Instagram account posted “At difficult times like these, we need to come together and help each other. We both have taken steps to do just that and have pledged our support to UNICEF, GIVE INDIA and the International Association for Human Values (IAHV). We urge those of you who can to do the same. United we stand. Jai Hind Kareena, Saif & Taimur.”
The novel coronavirus outbreak is the biggest challenge that the world is facing right now globally. The pandemic has hit the world hard, and in India, the novel coronavirus has infected around 1417 people and has lead to the death of 47 people nationwide as of March 31, 2020. Celebrities from around the world and across sectors are now coming together and joining hands to help the government battle the pandemic and contain the outbreak. The deadly virus that has affected thousand continue to spread at a rapid speed. Amidst which everyone is trying to do their bit, to prevent the spread of the pandemic amongst the population in different ways. They are now stepping forward and extending their support to do their bit, by making a contribution in order to curb the spread of coronavirus and assist the administration with their public policies.
The government has announced a 21days lockdown nationwide to curb the spread of novel coronavirus. The lockdown has affected several daily wage workers as their earnings have come to a halt. Amid this, celebrities are taking pledge to contribute in their ways to help these daily wage earners not to suffer in hunger by contributing to take care of their livelihoods.
It’s commendable how actors are now stepping forward in helping the government with their support at a time, when the nation is facing the wrath of a pandemic. Actors like Ashay Kumar, Varun Dhawan, Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Kartik Aaryan, Anushka Sharma along with husband Virat Kohli, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, Sara Ali Khan, Vicky Kaushal, Kriti Sanon and many others have already made their contribution for the same.
(Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.)
The Organization to Also Set Up Hospital In Hyderabad & Has Opened a Helpline For Online Counseling For Anxiety and Stress
BANGALORE, April 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — In its ongoing efforts, volunteers of The Art of Living along with its partner organization, International Association for Human Values have been working tirelessly to provide relief material in all corners of the country, from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, MP, West Bengal and Chattisgarh to Telangana, Delhi and Jammu; reaching out to over a million daily wage workers and migrant labourers, stuck in different parts of the country. The Art of Living/IAHV is providing a family’s ration for 10 days to a million families across the country along with film and TV fraternity also joining this initiative. The 500 tons of relief material sent out to various parts of the country so far includes food material, medicine supplies and sanitizers.
Relief Work Summary:
Essential groceries, cooked foods or bulk supplies are being handed over to municipal corporations by the volunteers, while following social distancing and hygiene protocol to the T, with due permissions in place.
The organization is also setting up a hospital in Hyderabad, while helping a COVID-19 hospital in Bengaluru. The organization has prevented the migration of thousands of workers from cities including Mumbai, Bangalore and Jammu. Workers without ration cards were also provided with adequate relief and support.
Volunteers are creating awareness about COVID-19 in II and III tier towns as well, while also helping the administration in tracking COVID-19 cases. The organization has opened a national helpline (080-676-12338) where Art of Living teachers counsel people undergoing stress and anxiety during the lockdown.
To provide mental relief, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is leading meditations at 12 Noon and 7.30 PM daily. The meditations are open to everyone who wishes to join in and can be accessed on all of his social media platforms. 9 hours of special content, dedicated to help people deal with the aftereffects of the pandemic have been released for Spanish-speaking countries today, by Gurudev.
The Art of Living teachers are also conducting yoga and meditation sessions for people to benefit from. The organization-affiliated senior Ayurvedic doctors are enabling people to sail through the current times by providing dietary and lifestyle tips to boost overall immunity and to stay healthy.
“Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has given a call to everyone to do what they can possibly do to help each other in this critical time. The Art of Living fraternity has been reaching out to the people in their neighborhood and helping them with both material and mental relief, while following the social distancing rules completely,” said Darshak Hathi, President, IAHV International, International Director, The Art of Living.
About IAHV
The International Association for Human Values(IAHV) was started in Geneva in 1997 by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as a global platform for humanitarian initiatives that solve problems by uplifting human values. IAHV is a Non-Governmental Organisation in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
IAHV has successfully implemented a multitude of humanitarian projects and service initiatives, including conflict resolution programs, disaster relief, sustainable rural development, empowerment of women, prisoner rehabilitation, education for all, and environmental sustainability.
About Art of Living
The Art of Living Foundation is a volunteer-based, humanitarian and educational non-governmental organization (NGO) founded by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in 1981. It has centres in more than 156 countries. It offers several stress-elimination and self-development programs based on breathing techniques, meditation and yoga. It also runs several social projects worldwide.speakers of the century and Forbes ranked Sri Sri as the 5th most powerful person in India.
For more information, please visit: https://www.artofliving.org/in-en
Amid the ongoing health crisis that has taken the entire globe in its grip, the volunteers of The Art of Living with its partner organization International Association for Human Values (IAHV) have been working to provide relief material to daily wage labourers and migrant workers in different parts of the country.
The organisations are working to provide relief materials to states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, MP, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Telangana, Delhi and Jammu. The joint venture is providing family’s ration for 10 days to million families to these different states and many from the film fraternity have also joined them in their cause.
A total of 500 tons of relief material sent so far include food material, medicine supplies and sanitizers. Essential groceries, cooked foods or bulk supplies are being handed over to municipal corporations by the volunteers while following social distancing and hygiene protocol.
Apart from the relief materials, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is also leading meditations twice at 12 Noon and 7.30 PM daily, open for all, on his official social media platforms. 9 hours of special content dedicated to helping people deal with the aftereffects of the pandemic was also released for Spanish speaking countries by him.
“Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has given a call to everyone to do what they can possibly do to help each other in this critical time. The Art of Living fraternity has been reaching out to the people in their neighbourhood and helping them with both material and mental relief while following the social distancing rules completely,” said Darshak Hathi, President, IAHV International, International Director, The Art of Living.
The organisation has also operationalised a national helpline number — 080-676-12338, where the Art of Living teachers are counselling people undergoing stress and anxiety in the lockdown.
The Art of Living Foundation, along with its humanitarian arm International Association for Human Values (IAHV), has reached out to over a million families across locked-down India, providing more than 500 tonnes of relief material.
The foundation, founded by humanitarian, spiritual leader and ambassador of peace, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who had given a call to aid daily-wage workers and stranded migrant labourers during the nationwide lockdown.
“Let’s give the assurance that there is enough humanity to take care of everyone,” he said.
He added that it was paramount to provide succour to people who were dependent on daily wages for their existence.
“Along with humanitarian efforts, it is important to reassure the needy that they have not been abandoned, and that the government and the common man are with them in these testing times,” he said.
Art of Living volunteers with relief kits in Vapi, Gujarat. (Courtesy: Twitter)
With the trending hashtag #iStandWithHumanity, the call received massive support from the common man to business tycoons and Bollywood celebs. NGOs such has Goonj also have joined the cause.
On Saturday, he tweeted that the “spirit of volunteerism can help us get over even the biggest crises”, adding that “a lot still has to be done”.
The spirit of volunteerism can help us get over even the biggest crises. @ArtofLiving volunteers have been working tirelessly to provide relief in coordination with local authorities in various parts of the country, but a lot still has to be done. pic.twitter.com/R9jPi2bG6d
In the initial phase of relief work, volunteers of Art of Living and IAHV have distributed truckloads of food material, medicines and hand sanitisers to impoverished families across India.
The foundation has helped prevent the migration of thousands of workers from cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Jammu. It is also setting up a hospital in Hyderabad, and aiding a Covid-19 medical centre in Bengaluru.
Volunteers have been creating awareness about Covid-19 suburban and rural towns as well, while also helping the administration in tracking cases of infection.
The Art of Living has opened a national helpline, too, where its teachers counsel people undergoing stress and anxiety.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been leading meditation sessions at 12 Noon and 7.30pm daily. They are open to everyone who wishes to join in, and can be accessed on all of his social media platforms.
The Art of Living teachers are also conducting yoga and meditation sessions for people to benefit from. Senior Ayurvedic doctors associated with foundation have been guiding people to sail through the current times by providing dietary and lifestyle tips to boost overall immunity and stay healthy.
The Art of Living international director Darshak Hathi said: “Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has given a call to everyone to do what they can possibly do to help each other in this critical time.
“The Art of Living fraternity has been reaching out to the people in their neighborhood and helping them with both material and mental relief, while following the social distancing rules completely.”
Started by Mumbai’s Americano and Taru Naturals, the fund aims at connecting the dots between the needs of farmers and laborers
In light of the lockdown, daily wagers and migrant communities in the country are going hungry, farmers are struggling to sell their crop and essential produce is going to waste. But in spite of their own businesses shutting down, restaurant owners have taken the opportunity to give back to society even while the future of the hospitality industry remains uncertain.
Mumbai restaurant, Americano and social enterprise, Taru Naturals have partnered to help bring produce from small-scale farmers and supply it to the people who need it through the ‘Farm to Table Relief Fund’. All proceeds go towards empowering farmers to continue their work while also supplying food to migrant workers and daily labourers who are unable to provide for themselves during the lockdown.
The response has been incredible, says Alex Sanchez, Chef and Owner of Americano. “We saw a unique opportunity for collaboration wherein we could empower farmers to help feed the hungry.”
How it works: From farmers to underprivileged communities
For Ruchi Jain, Founder of Taru Naturals, managing the logistics in the middle of the lockdown was the biggest challenge. The harvest from the farmers is packaged into relief kits and transported to Mumbai via truck. In Mumbai, the team has partnered with the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) to distribute the packages. The kits have been distributed in the Mankhurd and Govandi slum areas. “So far, we have generated two lakhs which has been used to put together 350 relief packets,” Jain says. “Each packet lasts for fifteen days for a family of four.”
Each kit consists of wheat, dal, rice and oil and costs Rs650, which goes to the farmers. Every bit counts, and no contribution is too small for the initiative. “We closed Americano one day shy of our first anniversary. It was a great first year and we owe that to the support we received from our community. In this time of crisis it’s easy to get wrapped up in the negative: the uncertainty, the hardships, the bills,” Sanchez says. “We wanted to focus our energy on putting some good out into the world. We need more of that right now. And this fund has shown us that, overwhelmingly, when given the opportunity, people want to do good.”
