by Father Ajit Munis for BISMumbai

The MumbaiSalesians managing the Narukot Education Society at Narukot village, about 65 kilometres east of Vadodara, 20 kilometres away from the UNESCO World Heritage Archaeological Park at Champaner-Pavagadh, in Jambughoda Tehsil of Panchmahal District in Central Gujarat-India have initiated a COVID-19 Relief Outreach in the neighbouring villages.

The villagers, predominantly of the Rathwa tribe, although not as yet too affected by the prevalent pandemic, as the testing has established no cases in the area, are however deprived of food-ration, due to the lockdown. The MumbaiSalesians at Narukot are ensuring that food-provision - pulses, condiments, grain, oil, salt, biscuits - are provided together with toiletries and masks, to the most deprived needy in these villages.

The relief outreach will assist 180 individuals of 53 families in 09 villages to tide over the current crisis. The personal door-to-door disbursement of the relief kits, after the initial actual survey assessment and identification of the most poor-deprived, is set to begin in a day's time. Salesian Coadjutor Bro. Melvyn Carvalho and Father Ajay Shelke are overseeing the process, with the aid of other Salesians at Narukot.