Sewa International, through its thousands of volunteers world-wide, has reached out to millions of people during the Coronavirus pandemic delivering much needed personnel protective equipment, food and medicines, and offer advice and help to those who have been left stranded, alone, or vulnerable. Since March 11, Sewa has reached out to 150+ community organizations, raised more than $500,000 for relief work, and engaged more than 3000 volunteers in COVID-19 relief projects. One of the relief projects that has picked up a lot of steam is Sewa’s “Mission Mask Making” project, which has become a huge success thanks to more than 500 volunteers across the US who have been spending their ‘in-shelter’ time supporting local hospitals and frontline workers fighting the pandemic. Sewa volunteers, especially women with sewing skills who have taken up this project with a gusto, have managed to produce over 20,000 masks in the span of just three weeks. Other volunteers donate cloth and sewing machines to mask-making volunteers and distribute masks to nearby hospitals. Instructional videos and PowerPoint slides on how to sew the masks have been released by Gajanan Dhapodkar, a professional fashion designer and instructor, and his team. Currently, these videos are in the process of being translated into Hindi and Nepali by Shiv Mishra to share the information on mask-making to other countries.
In India, Sewa International’s Task4Mask project has promoted the importance of wearing masks in public. Sewa has raised funds to help women who are making OPSA-approved masks earn wages to support their families. Women coming forward during these difficult times to serve their community have become the backbone of support earning money for their families who are dependent on daily wages. Every mask sold through Task4Mask will go to support the families of these women.
Sewa International’s Kutch (Gujarat) team has produced over 15,000 masks thanks to 15 women trainees and have serviced the 12,000-mask request from Hyderabad. With the surge in demand for masks, they are receiving more requests across the country. More than 2,000 masks have been distributed to a variety of government institutions, post offices, and banks who have been providing essential services. Sewa volunteers who are actively working in Alipurduar, West Bengal, and North Bengal regions have distributed more than 8,000 masks in rural areas and shanty towns.
Sewa’s Mission Mask Making project strengthens the cohesiveness of our community as hundreds of volunteers serve as a support system for the wellbeing of humanity in these challenging times.
Sewa International volunteers are involved in COVID-19 relief operations in many countries on different continents. Their work ranges from helping stranded students and senior citizens with food, groceries, and medical supplies to conducting informative webinars, and from distributing masks to the frontline workers to feeding the homeless.
Here we provide a round-up of various Sewa activities around the world:
India: Sewa volunteers in Delhi, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat, Tripura, and other states are distributing Stay@Home food kits that contain groceries, vegetables and other essentials to migrant labors, tea estate workers, and poor families. In Hyderabad, a community kitchen set up by Sewa has served meals to more than 30,000 families and food to more than 1,200 stray cows and dogs.
In Bangalore, Sewa volunteers have been serving freshly cooked meals and distributing food packets to the migrant workers and the poor in the south of Bengaluru served 1600 meals & 400 food packets.. They are also honoring Corona Warriors — people who have been fighting to stop the pandemic and helping the poor and needy — in these food distribution events. Hundreds of people are served food and Sewa has teamed up with a few physicians to spread awareness about the COVID-19 pandemic during these events. Sewa volunteers are also conducting online Sanskrit Speaking classes in partnership with Samskita Bharati to engage people during the lockdown.
In Uttarakhand, Sewa has provided its medical support vehicle and support staff to the state government and in Karnataka more than 3,000 families are being supplied with their daily need of milk packets. In West Bengal, Gujarat, and Tripura thousands of masks have been stitched at home and distributed.
United Kingdom: Sewa volunteers in the United Kingdom have launched three programs — Help Your Neighbor, Replenish the Food Banks,and Care for the Carer. About 2,400 Sewa volunteers are involved in COVID-19 work and till date 6,000 meals have been served, 268+ accommodations offered, and 36 hospitals and 24 food banks have been replenished with essential supplies.
Trinidad & Tobago: Sewa International is involved in extensive awareness-building campaigns through social media and webinars. Free live streaming of yoga classes is helping people reduce stress. More than 70 volunteers are involved in making masks and 7,000 home-made masks have been distributed so far.
Australia: Sewa volunteers have set up helplines to provide counselling, offer living accommodation to the stranded and needy, and extended support to the people who have lost jobs. They are also serving food packets and essential medicines to the needy at their door steps and spreading awareness about COVID-19.
Canada: Responding to an appeal by the Indian Consulate in Canada, Sewa released $5000 to help international students. Sewa is providing students with guidance and counselling, groceries, freshly cooked meals, and overthe-counter medication. Sewa is also connecting them with volunteers from their respective cities for local support.
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