In the very first week India entered void lockdown in March 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the NGOs to help the government during the lockdown by providing basic necessities to the underprivileged, supplying medical and protective gear, and assisting with awareness campaigns on social distancing. This was followed by NITI Aayog reaching out to over 90,000 NGOs, and civil society organisations (CSOs) in the first week of May, seeking their assistance in delivering services to the poor and the health and community workers to combat the pandemic.

Tthe Supreme Court of India to applauded the contribution and the role played by Non-Governmental Organisations for coming forward to help the migrant workers by providing food, water and transport during the difficult time.

India, with the second-largest population in the world, responded to COVID-19 pandemic with all its might. From imposing strategic lockdown measures and stringent travel guidelines to implementing mandatory quarantine procedures, ensuring emergency health services for the infected, and encouraging robust vaccination programmes – the Government has been leaving no stones unturned to battle the crisis and minimise its impact on the citizens.

Also, coming to the relief of the marginalised, daily wage labourers and migrant workers, who are reportedly most hit by the situation, the government tried its best to distribute relief packages and openshelter homes.  

However, as the development experts believe,it is crucial to understand that it was not possible for the Government alone to holistically address the situation– develop, implement and ensure that the measures reach the needy, last-mile people.

To add to its reach and resources, the government needed the civil society, non-government and community organisations to spearhead its initiatives with their extensive reach and large volunteer-base embedded in the community, as rightly observed by the Prime Minister of India.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, has also praised the civil society and grassroots organisations for having a fundamental role to play in fighting the COVID-19 at local levels, as he highlighted the same in the recently launched report on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19’.

According to him, NGOs bring economic and livelihood opportunities, and can adapt responses to the community context.

‘Impact of COVID-19 on India’s non-profit organisations’, a snapshot report released by the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP), Ashoka University in June 2020, revealed that “three-fourths of the interviewed NPOs were actively engaged in ongoing relief work, using their embedded presence in communities as a particular strength.”

“This work ranged from last-mile delivery of relief material such as dry ration and sanitation kits, community awareness and sensitisation, setting up health camps and isolation facilities, rescuingstranded labour, provision of direct cash transfers, to offering rehabilitation of distressed communities,” the report said.

Voluntary Action Network India (VANI) in their recently published ‘Study Report on National Policy on Voluntary Sector’ has observed that, “In a country like India, the voluntary sector bridges the gap between the government and the population of the country. It identifies the needs of the community and provides its support and services, even in the most untouched and marginalized areas, where the government is not able to reach.”

Saluting the humongous efforts put by the civil society organisations including NGOs to support communities in weathering the crisis, Puja Marwaha, CEO, Child Rights and You (CRY) said, “This World NGO Day, with all humility, we celebrate achievements of the flag-bearers of sustainable development and social change. The gritty efforts of the CSOs and NGOs become all the more significant, if we keep in mind the fact that they themselves have been reeling under a huge economic stress impacted by the pandemic.”

“In the wake of this deadly pandemic and the lockdown induced by it, our first thoughts were about how to reach out to our children and their communities. Topmost in our minds were the remotest regions of our operational areas and urban slums, their survival, safety and their health.Therefore, during the lockdown period, CRY’s efforts, along with its partner NGOs,have been concentrated on reaching all households as far as possible, with basic health and hygiene kits for the children and their families,” Marwaha added.

(IBNS)