Corporate and NGO’s coming forward to help amid COVID-19 crisis

Pune: As the cases of coronavirus positive are increasing in Maharashtra and country, many corporates and social organisations are working to help the needy who have been hit by the pandemic.

Caring for artists and tribals
Vanarai, an NGO working in the rural development and water conservation provided help to circus artists from Khandala and Satara by providing them with food grains. The NGO also helped the farmers from the places like Satara, Pune, Jalna and Tribals from Nasik district by giving food grains. Their initiative benefited as many as 1,000 individuals.

Poona College is preparing more than 700 food packets every day and distributing it to the needy people at different locations in Pune City in the wake of the lockdown.

Citizens coming forward to help
Residents of Sudatta Sankul also helped the migrants living in PMC’s shelter homes. Disaster Management and Research forum, Vande Mataram Sanghathana and Warje Police helped Sudatta Sankul residents in distributing food. Food was given to people staying in PMC’s shelter homes, construction workers, physically challenged people.

Residents of the Sudatta Sankul, Hingane recently distributed food through NGO Shaurya. Around 70 women and other residents of the housing society participated in the service. Around 1,100 Rotis were cooked by the women and given to close to 380 low-income families.

Support from manufacturers and corporates
Ambuja Cements Limited and ACC Limited, cement manufacturing companies have collectively contributed Rs.3.30 crore to three NGOs to support daily-wagers, migrant labour, slum-dwellers and the homeless stranded across the country on account of the lockdown.

Ambuja Cement and ACC are also supporting Goonj, an NGO renowned for being on the forefront of disaster relief with expertise in material management, as well as Praja Foundation and Mumbai Roti Bank, who are working extensively with labourers and daily wage workers who have lost their livelihood on account of the country-wide lockdown to protect against the novel coronavirus.  

Another Corporate, Capgemini also donated safety equipment and materials like PPE kits, N95 masks, three-ply masks, face shields, non-contact IR thermometer and other materials like gloves, goggles etc. to government hospitals. In association with Akshay Patra Foundation, Capgemini is providing two meals each day to 1,000 people in seven locations in India since April 1. It also helped in delivering dry ration kits to 84,519 Individuals in 15 locations in India. Capgemini has mobilised Rs 7.90 crore with nearly Rs 60 lakh coming in through employee contributions for immediate COVID-19 relief.