We have now lived through six months of this COVID 19 pandemic. And how our lives have changed! According to government data, there are 893,592 active cases of infection and 106,490 deaths to date (MOHFW 10.10.2020), making India the second most-infected country in the world. Looking back to the panic triggered by the virus and the abrupt lockdown in March 2020, we immediately recall the disturbing images of desperate migrant and daily wage labourers trying to get home from cities because they had no income, jobs, or social safety net for protection. The ‘invisibility’ of these people in government records meant they could not access free ration offered by the State then and that they receive no compensation for their losses/deaths now.

Don Bosco Network integrated the individual efforts of the Don Bosco family across India into the Don Bosco Solidarity COVID 19 Relief campaign which helped partners access and distribute resources to the most vulnerable everywhere, touching 3.27 million lives to date.

With the objective to Save and Sustain, the solidarity efforts focused initially on providing immediate relief in terms of food and preventing the spread of the infection. The network ensured food security to 1,238,930 people. 990,556 people including migrants were provided with packaged food on their way home. Besides educating vulnerable people about the infection and its prevention, face masks and hygiene kits were distributed across India, while PPE kits were provided to frontline healthcare workers.

Looking beyond the emergency relief especially after the lockdowns were lifted, Don Bosco Network looked for ways to support migrant and daily wage workers to get back on their feet. The plight of the children of the migrants and daily wagers has become a focal point. Don Bosco Network through its partners are rallying around to support them while their parents find their feet in a terribly difficult economic situation.

As we complete six months of solidarity efforts amid ever-rising cases of COVID 19, we hope to continue to bring solace and smiles especially to the children of the vulnerable communities we serve.

This brief interim report lays out Don Bosco Network’s interventions and outreach between 25 March – 10 October 2020.

Click here to see our whole interim report