India has been under lockdown since March 24, 2020 to break the spread of Covid-19 infection. While it is the only solution to avoid community spread, many like migrant workers, marginalised communities and poorest of the poor are adversely affected due to the lack of information, livelihood and connectivity. Smartpur Centers across 117 locations in India has been rigorously responding to the crisis by reaching out to the most vulnerable communities.
After mapping the needs of the communities in rural regions, Smartpur centres identified that the immediate need was for information dissemination and creating awareness on Coronavirus, its symptoms and preventive measures. Further, awareness around the relief package, Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Yojana, was raised through Smartpur Digital Mobile Van, Public Address system and WhatsApp groups. These measures were initiated in Nuh (Haryana), and later replicated in other Smartpur locations. This proved to be one of the most effective ways of disseminating information and ensuring social distancing.
Simultaneously, the Smartpur teams created a Covid19 relief kit which included dry ration to help families sustain for a month along with masks and information guide on Coronovirus. These programs were conducted with the help of local/ community funds and administration support. As on May 8, 2020 nearly 18,700 families across seven states enjoyed this provision.