Day 20 of the nationwide lockdown - a doctor has worked 20 hours straight to help COVID patients, a migrant labourer’s family is worried about the next meal and the state of Maharashtra has come to a complete standstill with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country!
India - a country with the largest youth population - stands at the cusp of an unprecedented crisis that can and will be overcome by the unprecedented opportunity that allows the youth to shape the future!
For the entire nation ‘Fighting COVID19’ is the uniting sentiment and the clarion call of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.
One such organisation working tirelessly in the fight against COVID-19 is Global Shapers Community (GSC), Navi Mumbai Hub - a youth led initiative by WEF. GSC is working to ensure the needs of the most vulnerable sections are met during the COVID-19 lockdown in the country.
With the help of the State Disaster Management Authority and through active collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra, GSC sourced the most updated data to identify at-risk communities and map their requirements across the state. With the goal to act as a bridge between suppliers and beneficiaries, GSC aims to provide-
- Meals to migrant labourers
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Doctors
- Access to healthcare services & testing for marginalised groups
To achieve all this and more, logistics and movement of volunteers and essential supplies were critical - especially to reach the most underserved remote areas in Maharashtra. Team Invest India played a crucial role in procuring relevant approvals for GSC. The team worked closely with the Thane District Collector and expedited the process. Through regular follow-ups with the district and state authorities, Invest India aided GSC in strengthening India’s fight against COVID-19.
Till date, with the necessary permissions in place, GSC has-
- Distributed 1000 kits (containing three face masks, two sanitisers, 1 kg food grains and a guidance note on COVID-19) across ten slums and four relief camps.
- Provided sanitizers and masks to frontline healthcare workers at the Indira Gandhi Hospital in Uran.
- Partnered with Swiggy and National Restaurant Association of India to provide 26,000 meals to 2,500 beneficiaries.
- Partnered with Zomato Feeding India to provide over 2,00,000 meals to 16,000 beneficiaries across Maharashtra- through 3,000 relief packages to low-income families.
- Collaborated with Siddhant Shah at Access for All, an award-winning organization in health and wellbeing, to offer weekly art-therapy sessions to children with special needs and learning disabilities to help overcome anxiety through art, in these unprecedented times.
Invest India is honoured to be a part of the journey that made it happen!
