The war against COVID-19 has opened a battlefront across the globe. The unprecedented lockdown has unsettled lives, halted the economy and pushed the weaker sections of society; deeper into crisis even as pain on the employment front looks inevitable. These difficulties are only dwarfed by the hardships and devastation faced by millions of migrant workers and daily-wage laborers, with little economic buffer or welfare safety net. It’s extremely important to keep the morale of a nation high during trying times and this will inspire people and give them hope.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in India has reached 23,502, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The death toll across India stands at 720. In the midst of a long nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the pandemic, and halted activity taking a toll on the economy, Caritas India has been actively focused on serving the marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society who are facing the pandemic in a very fatal way, and continuing the blessed work in the lockdown.

Caritas India is working with 181 partners in the COVID-19 response. 1,762,566 people have received benefits from Church relief response. This has been possible due to meticulous planning and deliberation. Continuous meetings are being held with the staff, Government and various stakeholders to carry out the relief response smoothly. With the help of partners, volunteers, and community leaders, families that are in need of the relief materials are being identified. Caritas India has reached out to 2,06,854 migrant people with Food & Hygiene kits. Caritas India is providing psycho-social support, medical camps, and shelter home to migrants. The community kitchen service is running with more enthusiasm and community spirit, and reaching out to many migrants, daily wage labors, disabled persons, and transgenders. More than 2,54,933 people have been fed by community kitchen initiatives. Around twelve lakh masks have been distributed by the partners and simultaneously the awareness on the importance of usage of masks and hygiene practices are also being given. Caritas India along with her partners is working day and night towards bringing relief to those in need in the current situation. This pandemic is not only a war against the virus but is also a war against hunger. And everyone is putting their best to come out of this victoriously. Caritas India and her partners are trying to reach even the last mile across the country.

Below are short testimonies of people in the coronavirus pandemic and Caritas India’s response-

• Karthikeyan, a 37 years old differently abled person from Puducherry, known for his professional expertise in chair knitting work, found his business stranded in the long run lock down. Currently his work force consists of 16 visually challenged persons. His parents are daily wage labourers and when he was 6 months old, he was affected by visual impairment. Due to COVID-19 Lockdown, all his team members are finding it hard to have square meal. At this critical time, through the facilitation of PMSSS (Pondicherry Diocese), and with the support received from Caritas India, each member from his team received 15 kg Rice, 4 kg Dhal and 5 Kg vegetables. This timely help from Caritas India/PMSSS will help him feed all his team members at least for another 10 days. Another beneficiary of the same relief work, 34 years old transgender woman Shyamala expressed her gratitude to Caritas India. She said, “Due to COVID-19 Lockdown, we could not access essential services and we are totally stuck. In this present crisis situation, only PMSSS has supported with compassion and we received this dry ration kit of 15kg Rice and 4kg dal for our livelihood support.”

• ADSSS (Aurangabad Diocese, Maharashtra) reached out to migrants from Madhya Pradesh, who are currently stranded at Jain Spinner Stop, close to Pimpalwadi, Paithan Taluka, Dist. Aurangabad. They live under the sky and have no ration cards. So, they could not access the ration distributed through PDS. ADSSS was the first one to reach out to their aid. The dry ration kit provided to them would last up to two weeks. One of the migrants, Munjamil Patel from Khandwa district in MP, shared, ” We thank the organisation for satisfying our hunger. Our lives were miserable, we were thinking from where we will feed our children? I go house to house for zip, chains repairs. But due to lockdown this stopped. Police beat us if we go out. How to feed family was a question. You all came and helped us. God bless you and your children. Please help us again”

• NIDS (Neyyattinkara Diocese) in association with Caritas India planned to distribute nutritional food kit and sanitizers among most vulnerable families of persons with disabilities. 45 years old Miss Nirmala is one of the beneficiaries who is orthopaedic handicapped shares her words of thankfulness. She said, “I was really creeping in darkness but now I can smile with courage”

• Laxmi (name changed) hails from West Bengal who came to Tata Hospital Mumbai for her Cancer treatment. She rented a house in Diva and is unfamiliar to the crowded city of Mumbai. She is not well-versed in either Hindi or Marathi. During the locked down, her health has been deteriorating and she was getting anxious about feeding the kids. The police had blocked and sealed her area due to suspected Covid cases. She was helpless and had no one to seek help. At this point, one of the nurses at Tata Hospital gave her the number of Mr. Joseph Abraham. He is a COVID 19 volunteer who is actively involved in the relief operations with Karunya Trust, Caritas India’s partner in Kalyan. He reached out to Laxmi and provided her with food kits procured from Karunya Trust. Laxmi was overjoyed as she could feed her kids with a proper meal after a long time. Wiping off her tears, she thanked Joseph Uncle (as everyone fondly calls him) and exclaimed, “I feel bit relaxed”.

The nation has been under lockdown for the second phase now, taking a toll on human lives and sufferings, however, those with underlying social, economic or physical vulnerabilities suffer the most.  Inaccessibility to markets and no daily wages has led to an acute shortage of food materials in poor households. This is where the CSOs have come to play a major role in supporting the Govt. to reach out to such individuals who are finding it hard to meet their ends meet. Caritas India is committed to holding on to the lessons of serving the most marginalized, in the fight against Coronavirus.

Caritas India has come up with innovative ideas and strategies in different zones of the country, as per their context to fight this war. Certain innovative practices are also being experimented such as in Meghalaya, bamboo vinegar is promoted as an alternative to sanitizer. In Assam and Meghalaya, three Church infrastructures have been given to the govt to be used as quarantine centers. COVID-19 support is going to extend to cancer patients is another area of response. In Kerala, online games and competitions have been introduced for children and partners have palled to give free seeds and seedlings distribution to the households to actively involve them to produce vegetables for their daily needs. Caritas India has also taken up COVID19 pandemic discourse on digital platforms.