Covid-19 : It is time to come forward and make a difference
Shomali Johri & Manju Mulchandani, Co-Founders, Life Wins Foundation
The coronavirus pandemic has brought about a moment that has no precedence in our lifetime. The world is grappling with the worst public health crisis possibly seen in more than a century. The financial impact of these actions have been far reaching, especially on the families of daily wage earners, labourers, taxi and autorickshaw drivers, and others who depend on their everyday earnings for survival. In order to cushion the impact of the crisis on these sections, and to ensure their access to essentials, various not-for-profit organisations are sending out appeals for funds to help those in dire need. Simultaneously, heavy rains have been causing floods and landslides in many parts of the country leading to large scale disruption and further adding to the woes of people. Hence we are dealing with a situation that is fast-evolving, and merits our immediate attention and action.
This is the most pressing time when we need values like charitable acts, volunteering, individual ethics such as integrity and honesty and doing good deeds without expecting returns. In short, it is time to act selflessly – by individuals, trusts, NGO’s, organisations, entrepreneurs, businessmen, corporate, social workers and activists – to create an equitable world by collective action. In war time, as is the case now, CSR needs to acquire a new sense of urgency and responsibility.
People from all walks of life, particularly the frontline workers, are doing their best to save people’s lives and help them return to normalcy. Together, we are engaging in an impressive act of community service with kindness and hope and that’s pretty powerful. There are many other ways in which we can help and make a difference to the lives of people and to society at large. Here are a few:
Support NGOs
You may have many ideas about how to help your fellow human beings, but may not know how to go about it. That’s when you need to check what others are doing – join them and form a team or join an organization and work as a team. Charitable organisations and NGOS are coming together and working in tandem to reach a larger crowd and make a bigger impact with their services. While individual action is good, collective action is more powerful and delivers results. Many NGOs are stepping up their vital work at this time like cancer care for the underprivileged section of the society, helping frontline warriors etc and supporting them is a great way to help those who are most in need. We should ensure that the fund is allocated where it’s needed most to have the greatest impact on the relief effort as the outbreak continues to evolve.
Support the vulnerable
Charity begins at home. As millions of us in India take shelter at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, take a moment to think of those who do not have that privilege. It is important to reach out to the most vulnerable sections of our society with an emergency basic income & support for patients with severe health issues. The challenge here is to design a fool-proof and leak-proof method of helping those who needs immediate attention. Even the smallest bit of charity can go a long way to help the needy.
Commitment is the need of the hour
No matter what you may be busy with, taking out a few hours for collective action for the sake of the community and larger social good is a sign of your commitment to society. While we need to be helpful at all times, acting during a crisis will be cherished. Identify the elderly and physically challenged people in your area and volunteer to assist them with daily needs. If your work allows you to spread the cheer, use it well to lift the spirits of others around. Be a bit selfless and you will see the rewards of that in future – a healthy and safe society. With technology at hand and WhatsApp being our strong ally, we can volunteer effectively yet virtually! In fact, the present quarantine has made us more efficient and innovative.
In conclusion, it can be said that it is time to come forward and make a difference. This pandemic has made us realize that we all are connected and this entire world is a family. By banding together to help one another, we can strengthen ourselves and the people around us. Together, through the right channel, we can safeguard our nation and help fight this global pandemic. While many individual efforts are laudable, we need to give serious thought as to how we can collectively add value to the overall societal effort to combat the virus impact. Although being socially responsible can cost time, money and resources, yet it gives an extreme sense of satisfaction when one sees impact on society by such noble acts.
