Giving back on the ground in India

COVID-19 has brought the entire world almost to a halt. We have seen front-line workers volunteer and risk their lives; health officials return to work; students, teachers, and parents adapt to virtual learnings; and the list goes on. While the tolls in India rose to an extreme in April and May of 2021, the support from all over the world was absolutely amazing. This was when myself, family, and friends decided to join hands to help a few underprivileged families in rural parts of India.

Our objectives were simple:

• Identify and meet with families struggling for food and basic amenities
• Itemize and estimate the cost
• Create a fundraiser based on an estimated budget
• Purchase and distribute items

We could have donated the amount to another fundraiser or non-profit organization or to the government’s COVID-19 relief fund, but we wanted to witness firsthand the difference we could make in people’s lives.

In May of this year, I started reaching out to different groups with a grounded perspective and access to people in rural areas. Eventually I formed a team of family and friends in South India who identified and provided a list of 100 families in a rural area near Karaikal, Pondicherry. After reviewing their proposals, we estimated a budget of ~$1200 USD would be needed for our Phase I distribution.

I created a GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/manage/covidindiahelp) campaign and within just a few days had enough money to initiate the purchase process. Overall, it took about 4 to 5 business days to get the materials from the suppliers. By late June and early July, we were able to provide vegetables, food grains, and protective tarpaulin covers for the damaged roofs of people’s homes.

Most impressive was the support we received from local government, municipal officers, departmental stores, and people within the village. We even received free transportation! Finally, we were able to distribute the materials to the families in need as planned. Our contribution may have been very small, but as the saying goes in tamil language, “??????? ??????” that can be relatively interpreted as "Help or donate others as much as you can".

We want to build on our momentum, so we are continuing to support underprivileged people in whatever way possible. Yes, the pandemic has changed our lives in many ways, but it has also made us appreciate the people around us and give back to our communities in the hope that we can ease any suffering or struggle people may be going through.