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COVID-19 Crisis in India: How to help?
The current state of medical crisis in India breaks our hearts, with medical facilities filled beyond capacity, numerous patients gasping for oxygen and crematoriums holding mass cremations to mass the large volume of deaths daily!
We hope that this page can provide you with the resources to contribute to COVID relief in India. Whether that is donating towards providing food to the vulnerable or organising medical equipment including PPE and oxygen cylinders, every contribution counts! We urge you to please donate generously and to inspire your friends and family to donate as well! It’s not India’s fight against COVID-19, it’s OUR fight against COVID-19! Please donate!
FOOD:
Khaana Chahiye (Hindi for “Want Food”) Foundation was established as a citizen-led campaign during the national lockdown in March 2020, meeting the food demands of the vulnerable populations in the city of Mumbai. Since then, they have evolved into a volunteer-driven organisation with a network of 15 NGO partners, more than 20 kitchen partners and over 250 volunteers all aiming to combat hunger through relief efforts and advocacy initiatives!
People for change: Save the transgenders + sex workers in Jharkhand
People for Change is a not-for-profit organisation that works towards generating progressive change in society. Keeping this aim in mind, People for Change has established a project designed to support the marginalised community of transgenders and sex workers in Jharkand and their families with at least four months of food, medications and rent.
OXYGEN CYLINDERS:
Based upon the principle of welfare for all, Hemkunt Foundation is a non-government organisation aimed at providing humanitarian aid to marginalised sections of society. Recognising the need of the hour, the organisation has begun a 24/7 drive-through service of providing free oxygen cylinders to patients in need to help save lives.
RightWalk Foundation: Breathe India
In a collaboration with the RightWalk Foundation, Breathe India is directed towards funding for oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment and distributing them across hospitals and COVID care centres. With their successful campaign in arranging 250 concentrators in Delhi, they wish to have a similar impact in other regions including Uttar Pradesh, where they wish to reach out to underprivileged communities.
PPE EQUIPMENT:
HelpNow, a non-for-profit organisation run by students and alumni of IIT Bombay and AIIMS Delhi, provides sanitised and well-equipped ambulances with ventilators available 24/7 across four of the biggest Indian cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune. Their mission is to provide a fast and quality medical response for 1.3 billion Indians free of cost by 2024.
Aawahan (Hindi for “to call upon”) Foundation, established in 2009, is a non-government organisation involved in promoting the welfare of economically disadvantaged groups by generating employment across various sectors. With respect to providing COVID-19 relief, Aahwahan Foundation has initiated multiple COVID-19 initiatives including collaborating with 48 hospitals in Bengaluru and providing them with PPE kits, oximeters, medicines and testing kits.
GENERAL RELIEF:
The East West Foundation (TEWF)
TEWF is a not-for-profit, volunteer-driven foundation committed to achieving the development and empowerment of socially and economically marginalised communities in rural India. In response to the 2nd deadly wave of COVID-19 in India, TEWF has designed a comprehensive plan centred around prevention, education and protection. This plan comprises the distribution of free masks produced at the foundation, the provision of free health consultations and COVID-testing through their clinic and mobile health van, and facilitating COVID-19 education programs. Additionally, they are fundraising to provide vaccinations, oxygen cylinders and concentrators and other healthcare costs to implement quality healthcare in marginalised villages during these difficult times.
Established in 2000, Give India is an online donation platform aimed to alter inequalities present in society. In April 2020, Give India launched its India COVID Response Fund-1 and since the second deadly wave now, it launched ICRF-2 to support gaps in healthcare and other critical needs. With a plethora of COVID missions including boosting oxygen supply and medical care for critical patients, feeding COVID-hit families and providing cash relief to families of COVID-deceased, Give India allows donors to choose the cause that they are most passionate about and for them to support the various disadvantaged groups.