New Delhi: Nobody can forget the horrific second wave of Covid-19 that ravaged India just a couple of months ago. Thinking the worst was over in 2020, many let their guards down and moved towards a kind of normalcy.
When the second wave hit, it came in like a tsunami putting sudden stress on the country's medical system. While it spared almost no one, the worst affected were the poorer sections of the society.
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It was up to NGOs like Goonj to help reach the communities that generally end up getting ignored. Goonj is one of the oldest NGOs in the country with a very deep reach.
"We have our networks and grid all over the country, the only thing about the pandemic is that we never thought that we will have to utilize all of it at once. This was the challenge with Covid-19," said Anshu Gupta, founder of Goonj.
Another big challenge faced by Goonj was working with communities that were self-sustaining but were badly affected during the pandemic. Through their Rahat initiative, they helped people from various walks of life, especially 'missed communities', these included women and children from the red-light districts, transgenders, people suffering from leprosy, and the differently-abled.
Many communities who were doing fairly well during the first wave found themselves in a difficult place during the second wave. For example, Qawwali musicians in Delhi NCR, who have a certain pride due to their line of work found themselves feeling embarrassed standing in lines for Covid relief kits. Goonj identified these families, did a segment with them and marketed it. Apart from this they also helped them financially by depositing money that could help them ride the worst of the second wave.
Anshu Gupta mentions that many families will likely take years to really recover from the devastation of the pandemic, such disasters puts many in massive debts.
"It is not correct to think that people can easily get back to their normal life after a disaster. It is often a very long process. Most families also get into an endless cycle of debt from which they may never escape. Even in the case of the pandemic, it will take a long time for things to get back to normal."
Gupta highlighted the importance of taking precautions even after taking the vaccines, "It is necessary that we continue taking precautions. The pandemic is still unfolding, it is not over and we do not know when it will. It is surprising that despite the deadly second wave of Covid-19, people still don't understand the gravity of the situation and are walking around without masks."