Pune Gurudwara volunteers cooking for stranded migrant workers
A Prelude
“…the ties that bind are grounds for celebration as well as obligation” Rebecca Solnit
Months into the pandemic we look desperately for signs of a return to the lives we led before safe distancing, frantically reposing our faith in the powers that have shaped our consciousness fatigued by alternating bouts of narcissism and despair– the Nation-State, capitalism and their promise of a better tomorrow. We are led into believing that big pharma will find solutions to this inexplicable plague that has forced us into an acceptance of an even more attenuated Present than we had been handed down by the manufacturers of rosy tomorrows before December 2019. The Future-as-utopia was always a long way off for most people leading meaningless lives filled with despairing hate for their neighbours even with the Ram Mandir well in sight. The pandemic has foreshortened the Future; it is enclosed in the discovery of a vaccine by pharma companies. We place our hope in the generosity of the State and Big Business to do the right thing by offering us the vaccine to end this long isolation, gratis or at cost even though it has been dinned into our consciousness so much that it has acquired the status of an absolute truth, that all innovation costs money and involves return on investment. In the meantime, we are told to stay socially isolated with our fears and despairs, mind our own business, keep a clean nose, rein in the restlessness and spirit of the young and children by incarcerating them, for the best part of the day into a digital panapticon. There is No Alternative! the bells toll for the doomed, the isolated, the diminished selves cowering in mounting fear of dying, weary of life, cursing this Present hell they are told presages a Paradise—once the vaccine comes along. We pin our hopes, our faith on the very system and power that atomise us, rob us of agency, trampling upon our possibilities and potentialities for community and bonding.
Regardless of the stage of capitalism this country enjoys (or suffers) the Market rules our lives; it dictates the belief in a value system that denies community, compassion. The Nation-State usurps what’s left of our resolve to feel by turning us into pawns of its own agendas, its own hatreds. We acquiesce; the burden of sanity that enjoins upon the human to think, imagine, question is too heavy to bear; we surrender our humanity and wait for that better tomorrow in a darkness full of seething silences. And in times of a pandemic such as this one, when even our atomized lives and their quotidian imperatives such as jobs, livelihoods are threatened, the music of life dies; all we can hear is the tinnitus hiss of meaninglessness and fear within our darkling selves..
But the music never stopped. The music of heartbeats thumping compassion and disinterested love, love without expectations of reward or recognition, a giving without taking, millennia old, the pleasures of obligations and mutual aid that bind together life in all its variedness and joy into one cosmic celebration of life cycles. And you realise that cataclysms and life-altering or life-threatening disruptions are the crucibles of that very compassion and disinterested love beating in collective hearts that organized State-power and capitalism had tried to snatch away. And often failed.
And in that failure of organized market forces or State-power as organised hatreds, we can see a glimmer of hope—not a hope for a better Future but possibilities of a better more expansive Present. In the acts of love and giving, of what Simon Springer calls “resurgence of reciprocity”¹ you will see signs of a new beginning, a break away from this dystopic vision of atomized individuals yoked to forces beyond their control and dimly comprehended, fearing to shoulder the burden of sanity that demands of every human to think, imagine and question the life she has been handed down and accepted as the ‘normal’, a life of unexamined narcissistic despair, loneliness and violence.
We offer just two samples of this resurgence of reciprocity, of what Rebecca Solnit felt to be a taste of paradise in hell.² And more; for as Springer puts it: “The resurgence of reciprocity that we are witnessing in every nook and cranny of the planet is a clarion call for change. It serves as a testament to the fact that the selfishness of capitalism was never going to produce a world in which we could find comfort.” The Beacon
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In the World
Jayathma Wickramanayake
By now, most people alive know that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected nearly every continent, forced countries into states of emergency, sent individuals into varying levels of quarantine and isolation, and shuttered businesses and schools. But there’s a lesser-known story that also deserves attention: of youth rising up to meet the challenge of this pandemic.
Some have warned that in addition to the tragedy of lost lives and the pain of lost livelihoods, a generation has lost its chance to contribute to our future. But I have seen how young people today — the world’s largest generation of youth in history — is finding purpose in this moment of crisis, and inspiring others to hope and act.
We have all been thrust into a new environment. The coronavirus has made new terms like social distancing and self-isolation common, and enveloped communities around the world in fear. But even as young people face unprecedented difficulties and uncharted paths, they are rising up to make a difference.
Through the confusion, stress and worry that the pandemic naturally causes, young activists and volunteers across the globe are generating ideas, energy and empathy, saving countless lives.
As the United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, I know there is no better resource in times of trouble than young people. Yes, we need scientific breakthroughs, action by governments and a massive amount of financing, but we also need the kind of initiative and resourcefulness that motivate the world’s outstanding youth.
That is why starting from today, every week, I want to introduce ten young people fighting coronavirus in their communities. You may never visit South Sudan, or travel to Peru, or find yourself in Italy, but when you read their stories you can find something that transcends time and space: a universal impulse to help others in times of need.
We will get through this crisis. And when we do, I am sure that history will show the world’s young people helped to bridge the world from fear to hope and from confusion to understanding.
Now meet 10 young people are prime examples of how the youth are reminding their communities how to stick together, even when we’re all staying apart. Their courage gives me confidence that young people can manifest the best in humanity — and that is a light that will shine for generations to come.
Tackling misinformation on COVID-19
1.Nelson Kwaje (South Sudan)
Tackling misinformation on COVID-19
During this dangerous time of uncertainty, misinformation about the coronavirus can cost lives. That is why youth organizations and young people around the world are turning to online platforms and digital media to share correct information and recommendations to dispel common myths. Nelson Kwaje, a 28-year old young man with a background in tech and peace-building, has made this one of his missions.
Nelson is a Program Director for #DefyHateNow, a community organization based in South Sudan, with branches in Cameroon, Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia. Nelson helped to initiate the #211CHECK collective, which is a digital community of youth working in various fields who collaborate to fight misinformation and raise awareness on coronavirus prevention and protection, using the #COVID19SS hashtag. Their work exposes false facts, disputed and unfounded remedies or cures, doctored images and any and all pieces of information that could confuse and mislead the public. Thanks to them, truth is replacing lies so that people can act in their own best interests, and society’s as a whole.
2.Vittorio Foglio (Switzerland)
Bringing supplies to and keeping company with the elderly
Imagine being elderly and hearing that a new virus hits the oldest among us the hardest. In Geneva, one young man led the charge in addressing universal fears about vulnerable groups, notably the elderly and immunocompromised. Vittorio Foglio, one of the leaders of Geneva’s Perceval Scouts troupe, felt that, as a scout, he had a mandate to help people. This led him to mobilize his fellow scouts to support these communities by reducing the need for them to leave their homes and risk exposure. With teams of people taking phone and email requests and teams delivering supplies, the Perceval Scouts have been responding to the needs of their community and curbing the spread of the virus in the city. Now the elderly there have assistance — and proof that their community cares about their wellbeing.
Producing bottles of disinfectant
3.Christian Achaleke (Cameroon)
Producing bottles of disinfectant
Shortages of key supplies are a problem even in some of the most developed countries. Most people, understandably worried, see now way to meet demands. But when the first cases of coronavirus were discovered in Cameroon, 26-year old Christian Achaleke, who works in development, realized that the state had not set up contingencies for containment and management, and decided to do something about it. Starting with his own office, he asked a colleague in charge of logistics to buy hand sanitizer, but she could only find some at double the usual price so they could only afford one. Shortly after, Christian saw a news report about a doctor and his daughter were able to produce homemade hand sanitizer using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recipe.
He and his officemates then went to buy ingredients, followed the WHO recipe, and tested the mixture. They then devised a plan to launch a campaign to offer hand sanitizer to people on the streets, while also engaging people to be aware of the risks surrounding the spread of the virus. To get the project going, they decided to cancel their annual retreat and dip into their salaries. Their main vision was to engage young people to act responsibly and spread correct information, and to help people follow the preventive measures, which had become prohibitively expensive. He reached to medical and development professionals throughout the country to help him develop this idea, which became the “1 Person 1 Hand Sanitizer” Campaign. He moved his project into a laboratory and engaged pharmacists, doctors, sanitation engineers and nurses to help. Although the actual sanitizer is key, Christian wants to make sure that the labelling and distribution team emphasize awareness-raising in order to encourage individuals to follow WHO’s recommendations to curb the spread of the virus. They are helping people to clean their hands, and to clear away misinformation that can cost lives.
Supporting members of the community
4.Wevyn Muganda and Suhayl Omar (Kenya)
Supporting members of the community
Many people live without a social safety net, and nothing shakes their already unstable situation more than a crisis. The spread of the coronavirus has exposed vulnerable segments of society, prompting communities to rally around them in support. One such example of this is Mutual Aid Kenya, a grassroots and community-focused disaster relief organization and social movement. Based on the concept of mutual aid, which relies on communities working together to ensure each others’ well-being, Wevyn Muganda, an activist and writer, and Suhayl Omar, a community organizer, journalist and student, founded Mutual Aid Kenya to provide aid to vulnerable people who are not properly assisted by government systems.
When the first case of COVID-19 was discovered in Kenya, Wevyn began engaging in digital advocacy, making sure that her fellow Kenyans were well informed of the potential risks and solutions. When it became more apparent that several members of the population were ill-prepared and ill-supported, she and Suhayl knew they had to do more, and the two began working together, leading to the creation of Mutual Aid Kenya.
Coordinating awareness initiatives with civil society volunteers
5.Dana Shubat (Syria)
Coordinating awareness initiatives with civil society volunteers
It can be hard to find hope amid war and destruction, but that is just where it is needed most. Due to the current situation in Syria, many experts are concerned about its ability to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic as it reaches more and more countries. In a push to supplement struggling official responses, many civil society groups have taken it upon themselves to ensure that Syrians are prepared for COVID-19. Dana Shubat has been lending herself to this effort. She participated in a mask and hand sanitizers distribution campaign that took place in the 10 days leading up to the quarantine. In addition to this, she has taken to her social media to provide correct information and sources to the public, posting over 100 times a day on various pages and profiles. Currently, Dana is using the knowledge that she has gained as a medical student to support engineers who are designing medical supplies to be 3D printed to help fill the gaps in the country’s health care system. She is also providing support to special needs students via WhatsApp, continuing her role as a volunteer for the Special Olympics. Dana’s work extends even further still. She has been translating COVID-19 manuals into Arabic and has joined the Young Sustainable Impact (YSI) Program 19, an innovation program aiming to solve problems related to the COVID-19 crisis.
“Spread sense not the virus”
6.Inés Yabar (Peru)
“Spread sense not the virus”
When it comes to a mass crisis, you need to reach a mass audience. Ines Yabar’s work is meant to tackle the spread of misinformation and the lack of resources for vulnerable citizens. Just 25 years old, Ines helped to create makesensetv, a subscription-based service that regularly provides people with the accurate, helpful information about COVID-19 that they want and need. Although Makesense TV is based in France, the service has also been made available in English to appeal to a broader audience.
Additionally, through Inés’ work with TECHO, an organization that matches young volunteers to communities in need across Latin America (including in her native Peru), she contributed to the creation of a COVID-19 FAQ page, complete with information, best practices and ways for disadvantaged communities to protect themselves. She is also a part of the “Heal the World” initiative led by Life Vest Inside, which aims to alleviate people’s stress and anxiety through kindness and positivity.
7.Nourhene Mahmoudi (Italy)
Outbreak of Generosity
What if the infectious spread of disease is met by an even more contagious sense of compassion? The spread of COVID-19 in Italy has upended the lives of many in the country. After seeing the increasing death rates, the sudden and complete lockdowns, and the increasing number of isolated and vulnerable peoples, Nourhene Mahmoudi felt compelled to act to support his nation. On 16 March 2020, he and other young volunteers launched Outbreak of Generosity, supported by the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO), an NGO that represents 33 Member organizations in 20 European nations and aims to empower young people to better their communities and nations. After undergoing an advocacy training, the Outbreak of Generosity campaign was officially launched, alongside a comprehensive toolkit (translated into 14 languages) that aims to help mobilize youth to provide help to vulnerable communities in a safe and proactive manner. With volunteers from 12 different countries and a strong social media presence, Outbreak of Generosity has been able to help and inspire a large number of people in Europe.
8.Ndlovu Youth Choir (South Africa)
Using entertainment to raise awareness
The arts may seem like a luxury at a time of crisis when, in fact, performances can be part of the solution. Some young people have used their creative talents to support the COVID-19 response. The novel nature of the virus has caused a spread of speculation and unverified information regarding the virus’ spread, symptoms and potential treatments. The Ndlovu Youth Choir, a South African youth choir known for reaching the finale of America’s Got Talent last year, composed, performed and filmed a musical rendition of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) coronavirus safety advice. Featuring translations of certain key points in various South African languages, the choir composed this song to ensure that the various communities in their country were well informed and safe during the spread of this outbreak. The video, posted on Twitter, was even shared by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Secretary-General!
Cooking for Wuhan’s medical professionals
9.Xian Lu the ‘Raincoat Girl’ (China)
Cooking for Wuhan’s medical professionals
The focus of the response is always the patients, but their lives could not be saved without the heroic health workers who risk their own safety to help others. In Wuhan, between the long working hours and closed restaurants, medical professionals are rarely able to eat warm, home cooked meals. This inspired 24-year old Xian Lu to move to Wuhan and volunteer to cook meals for the city’s medical staff, despite the danger to her health. In 40 days, she cooked over 20,000 meals, often cooking up to 400 meals a day. Affectionately known as “Raincoat Girl” due to her attire while out in the city, she has become a viral sensation in China, and an inspiration to many around the world, young and old alike.
Awareness and hand washing campaigns
10.Scouts (Haiti)
Awareness and hand washing campaigns
Water and soap are among the most powerful weapons to fight the coronavirus. In Haiti, Scout groups are working to support the country to combat the spread of this virus. As many communities struggle to access clean water and information on the virus, the Scouts have been traveling to and around the capital, Port-au-Prince, to reach out to people directly. Drawing people to them by singing catchy songs made to highlight preventive measures and symptoms, the Scouts have been carrying around portable sinks and installing hand washing stations to help give Haitians more alternatives to contaminated water sources. These Scouts hope that these measures will help combat the spread of the virus and encourage people to be aware of the measures that they can take to contribute.
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At Home
Sonal Kellogg
How strangers, united by desire to help migrant workers, came together on WhatsApp to serve thousands in just 3 weeks ²
In just one week after the Loving the Migrant Worker group was formed, Christians from over 50 different cities in India joined the group.
A handful of friends in Bengaluru moved by the plight of migrant workers decided to do something about it but being clueless about where to begin, they decided to set up a WhatsApp group called Loving the Migrant Worker. But much to their surprise the WhatsApp group was filled to capacity in just one week since it was formed and hundreds of migrant workers were fed, provided transport with and given dry ration kits in what became a wave in just three weeks since it was set up.
What’s noteworthy is that most people in the WhatsApp group, which was set up on 14 May, don’t know each other but what they have in common is that they are all Christians attached to different churches and denominations across India who have come together to help the migrant workers in whatever way they can. Some groups have been providing migrants with cooked food and water as they walk to their homes, some have arranged and paid for transport for migrants in buses, truck or trains and others have been providing them dry ration kits or doing whatever is needed to help them.
In just one week after the Loving the Migrant Worker group was formed, Christians from over 50 different cities in India joined the group. Rahul George, a Bangalore-based entrepreneur who is the founder of this group spoke at length about this initiative which took him by surprise.
“I was so distressed by the daily stories of migrant labourers walking for hundreds of kilometres to reach their homes, but I didn’t know what I could do alone. Since I wanted to ensure that I could pay my eight employees and also take care of my family, I had very little with which I could support others. But then I remembered the story in the Bible where Jesus Christ fed a crowd of 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fishes. I decided that I will give what I have and God will be the multiplier. With one boy with me, we began a WhatsApp group and since then thousands have been helped in multiple ways and most of those who are engaged in this initiative I don’t know them personally,” Rahul said.
He began by helping a group of Saura tribal families from Odisha who was stranded in Bengaluru with no food and work. Rahul first provided them with dry ration kits and then helped them reach their homes along with Mark Raja, his friend in Bengaluru. Since then he and all those others who joined the group from Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Amravati, Ahmedabad, Surat, Delhi, Varanasi, Vijaywada, and many other cities have worked in tandem to ensure that the sufferings of the migrant workers are mitigated in some way.
Speaking about her involvement in the group, Pranitha Timothy, a Chennai-based activist said, “I am not able to move out of the house as I have a brain tumour but I am helping out by providing funds to others who are in the field and also some of my staff is in the field are helping by providing food, transport etc. (to migrant workers).”
There are countless stories of success that the group has had. One of the stories is about the 118 Adivasi girls and 23 boys from Jharkhand who were stranded at Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, almost 480 kilometres from Chennai. People from the group arranged for three buses to transport these girls and boys to Chennai from where they were able to board a train on 20 May which reached Dhanbad on 22 May. From Dhanbad all 141 of them were helped to reach their homes by 23 May.
In Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s consistency, a group of Christian youths started providing ready food kits and a bottle of water to all migrants who began arriving there in mid-May.
Ashish Praynord, along with his friend Nigel David and their team began this initiative from 16 May onwards when the Shramik Special trains started arriving. They served the arriving migrants with biscuits, bread and jam, banana and a water bottle.
“We have been giving out mini food kits to around 1,500 people daily from 16 May onwards but now the number of migrant workers coming back home has reduced drastically. So now we are focusing on distributing dry ration kits to marginalised families like ragpickers and Musahar families. We began helping people with cooked food from 28 March onwards with police permission but after joining with the Loving the Migrant Worker group we have been able to raise over Rs 1.5 lakh and feed a lot of migrants. Many local people also helped by giving us biscuits, bread, water etc,” Praynord said. “It’s amazing that none of us has fallen sick though we have been on the streets for more than two months.”
Sanjay Diwe from Amravati in Maharashtra also joined the Loving the Migrant Worker group a few days after the group was formed. Diwe said he was already helping people by providing food from the beginning but after joining the group he was able to get financial help from various people who he didn’t know personally.
Food distribution by Love The Migrant Worker volunteers at Amravati in Maharashtra.
Image courtesy Sonal Kellogg
“We started distributing food to people from the time the lockdown started. We helped people who are extremely marginalised and do odd jobs like sharpening knives, making brooms and selling Ayurvedic medicines. We have fed around 33,000 people already and distributed 630 dry ration kits. We got help from people we don’t know,” Diwe said.
The National Highway 6 which begins from Surat passes through Amravati and ends in Kolkata had many migrant workers walking on it going to their homes in Odisha, West Bengal and Chhatisgarh. Many of these workers were provided with food by Diwe and his team when they passed through Amravati.
In just over three weeks, this group has been able to achieve a lot of success in helping people without any organisation, institution or church support.
Sharon Dominica, who runs Noida-based NGO Project Kalpana, has been helping children of construction workers by providing them with education.
“We are trying to streamline the whole process. We started with one group but it grew so quickly that we had to make regional groups and in some cases state groups. Now we have nine regional groups for Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Bengaluru, NCR, western states, eastern states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana etc. More than one thousand people have joined the groups and the number is growing,” said Dominica who is helping Loving the Migrant Worker WhatsApp group by providing backend coordination and data management.
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Notes --Prelude 1.Simon Springer: Caring geographies: The COVID-19 interregnum and a return to mutual aid. Dialogues in Human Geography XX(X) 2. Rebecca Solnit: A Paradise Built in Hell. Penguin Books. August 2010 --In the World Courtesy https://www.un.org/africarenewal/web-features/coronavirus/meet-10-young-people-leading-covid-19-response-their-communities --At Home Courtesy https://www.firstpost.com/health/how-strangers-united-by-desire-to-help-migrant-workers-came-together-on-whatsapp-to-serve-thousands-in-just-3-weeks-8458641.html
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