by Cleric Sanket Chauhan for BISMumbai

From 09-16 June 2021, the Lok Seva Kendra at Don Bosco Chhotaudepur undertook a COVDI-19 outreach to provide 350 masks and sanitizer to rural frontline 'Asha' health caregivers.

LSK reached out to these frontline caregivers, since with the COVID-19 2nd wave peak these were enlisted by the government to provide basic medical help, through personal visits to the rural villages. Instructed to check the health of all the villagers from 20 April 2021, these were the frontline warriors on the rural COVID-19 battlefront. Carrying out their assigned tasks dutifully, these sometimes, lacked the basic protective gear - masks and sanitisers. Oftentimes, these were stigmatized, ostracized and put up with sever criticism from their own in the villagers.

From 24 April 2021, LSK organised 150 'awareness' sessions and door-to-door information dissemination in 144 villages, on the COVID-19 precautions, immunity-boosting measures, basic health check-up need to monitor oxygen, pressure and temperature levels. The tribal poor in the villages of Chhotaudepur were encouraged to proceed for testing and vaccination as and when organised through the government agencies.

This outreach was made possible through the MumbaiSalesians' PDO [Province Planning & Development Office] - Don Bosco Development Society, to continue the relentless battle caring and saving as many poor lives.