PANAJI: From meeting the shortfall of masks for frontline workers to identifying migrants in distress – youth-driven initiatives across the state are helping citizens overcome difficulties arising out of the lockdown.
A second year student of DMC College and Research Centre, Saish Naik, was first informed by his NSS teacher incharge Jayesh Mayekar about the need to make citizens aware about using face covers. While most students made homemade masks and distributed them in their neighbourhoods, Saish, a Camurlim-resident, did not stop at that. Together with his 70-year-old grandmother Vedhika Naik Gaonkar, he manages to stitch 20 to 22 masks each day.
“My grandmother is a tailor and had lot of waste cloth lying around. The pharmacist in our neighbourhood told me about the shortage of masks and we decided to continue stitching the masks to meet the pharmacy’s requirement,” said Saish.
In Saligao, 35-year-old fashion designer Ninoshka Alvares Delaney decided to heed the PM’s call and continue paying salaries to the tailors in her workshop. It is through her maid that she and her computer consultant husband Ashley Delaney heard about a large group of migrants left stranded due to the lockdown.
“Initially, we provided the migrants groceries. Then we decided to stitch masks for them as the tailor was here at our workshop, with no work. Till date, we have distributed 450 masks. We have added another tailor to scale up the production to around 40 masks a day,” Ashley said.
“Now, the Red Cross has reached out to us to help meet their requirement of 3,000 masks for frontline workers. Ninoshka has consulted doctors for the specifications of the mask contour and the three layers it requires. ,” said Ashley. Another group of youth in Saligao carried out a full-fledged survey to identify the migrants in need. Donations are being raised to keep the provisions going for hundreds of stranded workers .
“We are providing a week’s worth of provisions to each family. Daily wage labourers are the backbone of our economy. From baking bread, selling fish, cleaning our roads and serving tourists, they do all the essential jobs and deserve our support in times of crisis,” said volunteer Sharada Kerkar.
A second year student of DMC College and Research Centre, Saish Naik, was first informed by his NSS teacher incharge Jayesh Mayekar about the need to make citizens aware about using face covers. While most students made homemade masks and distributed them in their neighbourhoods, Saish, a Camurlim-resident, did not stop at that. Together with his 70-year-old grandmother Vedhika Naik Gaonkar, he manages to stitch 20 to 22 masks each day.
“My grandmother is a tailor and had lot of waste cloth lying around. The pharmacist in our neighbourhood told me about the shortage of masks and we decided to continue stitching the masks to meet the pharmacy’s requirement,” said Saish.
In Saligao, 35-year-old fashion designer Ninoshka Alvares Delaney decided to heed the PM’s call and continue paying salaries to the tailors in her workshop. It is through her maid that she and her computer consultant husband Ashley Delaney heard about a large group of migrants left stranded due to the lockdown.
“Initially, we provided the migrants groceries. Then we decided to stitch masks for them as the tailor was here at our workshop, with no work. Till date, we have distributed 450 masks. We have added another tailor to scale up the production to around 40 masks a day,” Ashley said.
“Now, the Red Cross has reached out to us to help meet their requirement of 3,000 masks for frontline workers. Ninoshka has consulted doctors for the specifications of the mask contour and the three layers it requires. ,” said Ashley. Another group of youth in Saligao carried out a full-fledged survey to identify the migrants in need. Donations are being raised to keep the provisions going for hundreds of stranded workers .
“We are providing a week’s worth of provisions to each family. Daily wage labourers are the backbone of our economy. From baking bread, selling fish, cleaning our roads and serving tourists, they do all the essential jobs and deserve our support in times of crisis,” said volunteer Sharada Kerkar.
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