COVID-19 Emergency Response Activities

The sudden lockdown imposed by the government to curb the spread of corona virus from March 25,2020 has caused so much trouble to the poor and daily wage getters.  These sections of people were leading a hand to mouth existence with their daily wage, which they earn by engaging in all odd jobs.  Complete shutdown due to lockdown prohibited them from engaged in any work. These side-lined people never stock food items because their fragile income is too little for them to do that. Food supplies in these families gone out of stock within few days of lockdown putting them in undue hardship. 

We have utilized Euro-11,400 to assist 1170 lockdown/Covid-19 affected families in our area.  After receiving the vehicle permission from the district administration to move around during the lockdown period, we purchased food materials in bulk and packed it for distribution, which helped us to purchase materials at a cheaper rate. Each food packet contains Each food packets includes rice (5 Kg) Sugar (500 gram), Atta (500 gram),Kadala (500 gram) Uzhunnu (500 gram), cooking oil (500 ml), tea powder (100 grams) Onion (1 kg), Potato (1kg) Salt (500 gram), Masala items and vegetables. While distributing the relief materials we have followed the Covid-19 protocol.

The shutdown/lockdown has created undue hardship to the people, especially to the people in the lowest strata of the society. People who are engaged in daily work for their sustenance and are living in the interior villages are facing a lot of hardship due to the sudden announcement of the lockdown. These families are running short of food grains and other essential items. They lost their source of income- daily labour so they do not have the purchasing power to purchase necessary items for their families. Government has announced different schemes to support the poor and needy but it will take time to reach these underprivileged. These families are leading a hand to mount existence. Our field workers have done a rapid assessment of these families by visiting them and had understood the need for supporting them at this time of need. Most of these families are running short of food grains and are worried about how to feed their children in the coming days. We consider it is our responsibility to support these neglected families at this time of need. The extension of lockdown is a big blow to the poor families and put them in a tough situation. Further we have noticed that widows, handicapped persons, tribal families living in the remote villages of our operational area are in need of our support to purchase basic food grains. These are the advantaged sections of the society. Our organization is working among the disadvantaged Kani tribal families living in the interior villages/hamlets of the district. These tribal families are very badly affected by the sudden lockdown. They are not able to come out of their house to purchase essential materials. Socio-economically they are quite poor and this lockdown has pushed them further. 90 % of these families are now in starvation. Government and other agencies assistance are not reaching them because of the geographic specialty of the place (quite interior) in which they live. The line departments just ignored these tribal families and they are really struggling. It is sad to see the hungry children and feed mothers who are forced to go to bed without having sufficient food. SMIDS office is situated at Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of India and merging place of three seas. This place is considered scared for the Hindus and they come and leave their mentally sick family members here believing that they will be cured because of the sacredness of this place. It is sad to observe that more than 18 mentally ill patients, who are out of their normal life, are roaming around Kanyakumari town area. These people are not getting food which otherwise were fed by the public. Lockdown has closed all the shops here, visit of the devotees and tourist to this place also stopped so these mentally challenged are not takes care by anybody. By seeing their pitiable situation SMIDS preparing cooked meals for them and distribute it to the mentally ill patients who are roaming around in Kanyakumari town area and distributing rice and provisions to the poor and needy  We consider it as human to reach-out these disadvantaged people.

Beneficiary families were very happy to receive the food packets from SMIDS. They expressed their thanks to SMIDS Christa Saimon, Hilton Fund for Sisters, Michael, Jean Marc, Dominic   for the timely assistance to tide over the difficult situation in which they are living.  We sisters prepared cooked meals and distributed it to the beggars and other destitute who are living in the streets of Kanyakumari.  Relief work initiated by SMIDS is highly appreciated by the district administration and general public.

GOVERNMENT OF TAMILNADU INAUGURATED COVID–19 ASSISTANCE PACKAGE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH TAMIL NADU RURAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECT (TNRTP)

 Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project (TNRTP) is an innovative World Bank assisted project that aims at rural transformation through strategies focused beyond poverty alleviation by building sustainability and prosperity of through the transformation of rural communities

The Government of Tamil Nadu inaugurated COVID – 19 Assistance Package Implemented through TNRTP.

TNRTP project is covering 6 blocks namely Radhapuram, Nanguneri, Valliyoor, Palayamkottai, Kadayam & Keelapavoor totally covering 146 village panchayats in Tirunelveli&Tenkasi Districts respectively.  The project covers 15,000farmers; most of the farmers are women farmers in the areas focusing on enhancing women farmers’ livelihood through collective farming practices converting small farmers in to producer group. So that the efficiency of the farmers increasing in a remarkable way. For this TNRTP has engaged partnerships with Stella Maris Institute of Development Studies (SMIDS) . Through  SMIDS TNRTP provide plenty of opportunities to women, to improve their economic condition, supported with trainings on agricultural  development, Natural Farming , Agri- business development, starting and developing small Agri – business etc. For the Marketing purpose TNRTP with the Assistance of SMIDS developing Farmer Producer groups and creating Jobs. SMIDS has also promoted “VAIGAH farmers Producer Company” with the assistance of NABARD. VAIGAH farmers Producer Company is supporting farmers for collective action for the production and processing of agricultural and horticulral products.

Producer group members – are the direct beneficiaries of this initiative and they are the organized population of 25 to 30 individuals living a life under/ below poverty line. This will be an attempt to create a society with effective leaders and leadership. These empowered individuals will have the potentiality to lead the community being in front of it.

During this COVID – 19 lockdown the farmers are suffered a lot. Agriculture / daily work for their sustenance and are living in the interior villages are facing a lot of hardship due to the sudden announcement of the lockdown.  They lost their source of income- daily labour so they do not have the purchasing power to purchase necessary items for their families. By analysing difficult situations of the marginal farmers in the proposed area of TNRTP project intervened with several supportive measures. TNRTP in association with Stella Maris Institute of Development Studies (SMIDS)  helped the poor Farmers and farmer Producers Groups during the time of COVID-19 Pandemic in rural panchayaths of Radhapuram &Valliyoor Blocks in Thirunelveli District. Rural farmers faced undue hardship in selling their Agri- Horti products like Vegetables, Banana & Moringa etc.  SMIDS organized the farmers, arranged vehicles for marketing vegetables and other products in different places.  Arrangements were made to prepare value added products from Agri – Horti Products (Vegetables, Honey, Banana and Moringa) which the farmers were not able sell during the COVID-19 situation. VAIGAH farmers Producer Company has given hands on support in producing value added product and proper storage of it. They also assisted the farmers in marketing their value added products. This initiative has helped the rural farmers to get a fair price for their agricultural products during the pandemic. This dedicated work identified by the Tamil Nadu Government on August 7, 2019, on behalf of the farmer producers groups Sister Dr Archana Das DM Executive director SMIDS has received Rs.27 Lakh from the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr.Edapdi K Palaniswamy  as COVID -19 distance package relief for the farmers producers groups under TNRTP (Tamilnadu Rural Transformation Project).

We thank, Honourable Chief Minister, CEO of TNRTP, District Collector, Tirunelveli and District Executive Officer, Tirunelveli District for their guidance and support.  This support is a great help for the rural poor farmers to market their agricultural products and obtain a reasonable price for their products. Hence, the livelihood security of poor women and their families are being enhanced. This timely grant will assist the farmers for increasing their farm activities. During this rainy season farmers utilized this amount for cultivation and storage facilities. Farmers and Farmer Grower groups need your generous financial support to continue their farming at this challenging time. This also supports farmers for developing their agri- horti products in a commercial way through increasing the production capacity and marketing their products in an innovative way, which will increase the income of the marginalized farmers and livelihood improvement of the families in the rural areas exponentially.

SMS was awarded by the Government of Tamil Nadu for its efforts in the fight against COVID 19