In the state of Tamil Nadu, especially in the city Madurai, the nationwide lockdown has left thousands of migrant labourers from other states stranded. While some are getting help from their employers, local authorities and philanthropists for survival the rest are getting help after staging protests or highlighting their plight on social media platforms.

In the midst of the lockdown, Madurai province has gone out of its best ability to help the migrant labourers, construction workers and daily wagers through local and national NGO’s, staff, teachers, volunteers students etc.

  

FOOD

• DACA has distributed 250 packets (25 Kg) to poor people for 20 days.
• IDEAS-LAAS has distributed 450 bags each worth Rs.1, 000.
• TKK has distributed food packs to 100 families.

QUARANTINE CENTRE

• On request of the Government, hostel rooms have been allocated at SJC, SXC, LTI, and XT.

SHELTER

Accommodation for the bonded -labourers from Jharkhand & Maharashtra has been set up at IDEAS-LAAS.

AWARENESS GENERATION

• Awareness about Government welfare schemes, sanitation, hygiene, social distancing, and isolation were made in respective districts where the communities are there.

MASKS

• 3000 handmade masks were distributed to Sanitary Workers, Public Health Workers, police and government officials and volunteers in 29 Panchayats of Madurai districts in Chellampatty by AAC.
• All the novices (23), Jesuits (41), PDDM sisters (2), domestic co-workers (22) and scholastics (10) from DNC, Pune present in the Community are provided with readymade as well as handmade masks by Beschi.
• 650 masks are provided by SMD.
• 1000 masks were stitched by our tailor costing Rs.10000 and distributed by CHSS.
• 5,000 hand-made masks were provided in three camps by JRS-TN.
• Workers in Maduralaya and workers in 4 estates are given hand-made masks by Maduralaya.
• People in and around Gnanaolivupuram, Madurai are provided with masks by LTI.
• Alumni of Girigini prepared 500 masks and distributed in Shenbaganur and Ugarthe Nagar.
• 2,000 masks were purchased and distributed in college outreach programme village.

MEDICAL AID

• Medical check-up was done to 2 MDU Scholastics who returned from Pune and found the result to be negative by Beschi.
• Consultation through phone who crave for drugs and alcohol was given by CHSS.
• Distributed 250 packages containing a pair of slippers, 2 soaps and 100 ml. of coconut oil by KN.

SANITISER

• 1000 bottles each containing 150 ml of sanitizer were provided Sanitary Workers, Public Health Workers, police and government officials and volunteers in 29 Panchayats of Madurai districts in Chellampatty by AAC.
• All the novices (23), Jesuits (41), PDDM sisters (2), Domestic co-workers (22) and scholastics (10) from DNC, Pune present in the Community are provided with sanitizers by Beschi.
• Maduralaya domestic workers and all the estate works are given soap and sanitizer by Maduralaya.
• Sanitisers are provided by LTI to the co-workers.
• 85 liters of sanitizer was distributed by SJC.
• Xavier Research Foundation produced and distributed to 2 outreach villages, priests, and religious and local police men by SXC.

EFFECTIVE INFORMATION AND EDUCATION COMMUNICATION MATERIAL

• 5,000 leaflets have been prepared by CHSS.

HUMAN RESOURCE ENGAGED

• More than 250 persons - Jesuits, staff, professors, students and volunteers have been engaged in the relief work across Madurai Province.

VEHICLES DEDICATED FOR RELIEF WORK

• Estate Vehicles were arranged in Manalur and Balamalai for the distribution of grocery and ration by Maduralaya.
• One vehicle by LTI and two by SJC.

HELP DESK SET UP

• Video Promo has been set up by SJC.
• Ready to help the district administration by SXC.

ORGANISATION UPDATES W.R.T. COVID-19

• All the information such as photos, relief works related information and fund raising are being updated by AAC.
• Updating the Province website with the ongoing social outreach activities of Jesuits in Madurai Province by Beschi.
• Preparing information to update school website by CHSS.
• www.india.jrs.net is updated with COVID-19 relief work information by JRS-TN.
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpCcIsiR8AEBA1GJjjD7oWQ has updated information by LTI.
• COVID 19 relief work updates fund mobilization Video promos are uploaded and up-dated on College website by SJC.
• Students are informed through mails, WhatsApp and college websites by SXC.

FUNDS

• Rs.10, 00,000 for the relief work has been earmarked by AAC.
• Incentive to domestic workers, free food and infirmary requirements has been earmarked by Beschi.
• Rs.14, 00,000 has been earmarked for COVID 19 relief by IDEAL-LAAS.
• Rs.3, 00,000 has been allotted for all future relief measures by CHSS.
• Rs.10, 00,000 has been allotted by KN.
• Rs.7, 000 has been allotted for daily wage workers have been earmarked by Maduralaya.
• Rs.10, 000 has been preserved for the future relief work by LTI.
• Rs.1, 00,000 is allotted by SHC to support the Tribal people.
• Rs.4, 50,000 is allotted by SJC for summer camp amount.
• Rs.2, 00,000 is allotted by SJC for Community Picnic & pilgrimage.
• Rs.60, 000 has been allotted by SJC for fund mobilization through schools.
• Rs.2, 00,000 has been allotted by SJC for fund through college staff.
• Rs.2, 00,000 is set for fund by SJC through college Hostels.
• Rs.50, 000 has been set up for fund through Alumni.
• Rs.1, 00,000 is set up for fund through online mobilization.
• Rs.3, 50,000 has been allotted for 4,000 poor families with supply of Groceries by SMM.
• Rs.1, 00,000 is provided by the TKK for the relief work.
• Extra one-month salary for the domestic employees has been allotted by SXC.
• Rs.1000 each is provided to needy family by SMD.
• Rs.30, 000 is provided by HSS for 11 families of the needy students.
• Rs.1000 LTI has provided for 25 Families.
• Rs. 15,000 has been provided by Manalur.
• Rs.1, 500 has been provided to Balamalai each to 35 poor workers.
• Rs.1000 has been provided to 25 families by Sirumalai.
• Rs.2000 has been provided to 50 needy people by Perumalmalai.

FUTURE PLAN

AAC, Karumathur

• Planning to provide the college premises for Government Quarantining and treatment purpose of the corona affected patients.
• NSS and NCC Volunteers will be engaged in spreading awareness about the corona virus and helping the villagers to get government Aid.
• Setting up medical team to work in the remote villages to provide basic medical support to the needy during the lockdown.

Carmel, Nagercoil

• Information given to the parents through BULK SMS to approach either class teachers or administrators for their urgent needs
• Class teachers so far identified 50 students from the category of orphan, semi-orphan, differently abled, Dalits, Tribals/Adivasis, etc. and as a first phase, Rs. 2000 has been sent through RTGS to each to satisfy their immediate needs.
• Decided to provide dry ration kits to 82 refugee families in Pazhavilai camp 4 km away from our school each to the tune of Rs. 1000.
• JMAADD (Jesuit Ministry to Alcohol and Drug Dependents) administrators passed information through local TV channel and known WhatsApp groups about their willingness to help the addicts through phone at this juncture.

IDEAS_LASS

• Distribution of 400 sets of protective provisions (sanitizers, soaps, masks, gloves etc.) to Conservancy workers - workers who associate with us. It will be done soon.
• We are hopeful of distributing 600 more bags of rice and groceries in the coming days.

JRS-TN

• Different Institutions and some individuals were approached to help the refugees in the camps by providing dry ration.
• Madurai Province Provincial has promised to give some grant based on the budget (Emergency Relief for the Social Action Centers in the Province) submitted to him. So, the budget is submitted and it is yet to be approved.

Kalangarai, Nagai

• Plan to distribute either by cash or kind to 700 families of Widows who are receiving neither Widows’ pension nor Old age pension.
• Plan to help Sanitary workers belonging to two neighboring Panchayats with Groceries worth Rs.1, 000 each.
• Plan to help out to 100 poor catholic families of 10 parishes under Nagapattinam Vicariate in our Thanjavur diocese with the help of Parish Priests.
• Plan to help about 100 rural poor families who will be identified by our Staffs who are working in Kollidam, Poombuhar, Tharangambadi, Nagapattinam and Vedharanyam zones.
• Plan to reach out to other municipal Conservancy workers with foot wears and other protective provisions.

LTI, Madurai

• At the institute level it has planned to distribute more rice to the needy.

SHC, Shembag

• They are planning to distribute dry ration Kids and masks to 75 migrants who are quarantined at Government Higher Secondary school, Munchikal, Kodaikanal and another 100 families in and around Kodaikanal town.

SJC, Trichy

• Dry Ration Kits Distribution to the following:
• Lepers colony - Panjappur - 50 families
• Cobblers community - Tharmanathapuram - 250 families
• Dalit community- Gandhipuram Colony - 350 families
• Srilankan refugee camp - Valavanthankottai - 450 families
• Migrant workers from Bihar - Near BHEL Toll gate - 15 families
• Sanitizers preparation- For Arulanandar college karumathur& local health workers - 40 liters
• Financial assistance to orphan and semi orphan students of our college students
• Financial assistance to our co workers

SXC, Palayamkottai

• Student and staff volunteers are ready. When the district administration needs, the students will be invited to work in the help desk.
• NCC cadets and NSS volunteers are ready to offer their help.
• At the institutional level, we will plan for rehabilitation and sustainability programmes to the affected people.
• They will help our affected students and their family members.
• They will also do the same for the people of our Outreach Programme (STAND) area.

Thozhamai, KK

• There is a plan to cover around 50 fishermen families mostly widowed family members, or where there is no one to go for daily labour.
• There is a plan to help our poor students’ family through our teachers

AAC, Karumathur

• We are supporting the aged, destitute, widows, and visually challenged, Sri Lankan Refugees and Nomads in Madurai District.
• We are also working with Government Officials and supporting Sanitary Workers, Public health department and police department.

Carmel, Nagercoil

• School staffs, Alumni and JMAADD are willing to extend their human and financial resources.

IDEAS-LASS

• Reaching out to the needy during this ‘Lock-down’ period spread in eight districts: Our staff, collaborators, leaders of Dalit movements who seek help for relief materials over the phone are advised to identify the families which are mostly in need and report to us. As a second step, they are directed to locate a suitable grocery shop / shops with bank accounts, and verify whether they would accept wire transfer of money, and if they agree, collect details of them. As a third step, bargaining with the shop owner for the provisions to be supplied for Rs. 1000/- in each bag, ordering for the number of bags as per the requirement and passing on the information to our office in Madurai.
• On our part, once we are satisfied with the information provided, we would send money to the identified shops, one by one and pass on communication to the leaders about it. The leaders, on their part take delivery of the ‘Relief bags’ from the shop and distribute them to beneficiaries, as per the list which they had prepared. During the distribution of ‘Relief bags’, they are advised i) to fill-up the forms provided to them (forms which contains the basic details such as, a) Name, b) address, c) occupation, d) Number of children in the family and e) signature) ii) to take some random photos for our record, and send to our office. Lastly, the leaders are expected to obtain the original bill from the shop and keep it safe so that they can submit it in our office, when they visit it after the clamp-down. This system works out well, during the time of ‘Lock-down’.

JRS-TN

• The refugees who are the most affected in COVID-19 have volunteered themselves to support one another by stitching masks for their neighbours, sprayed antiseptics in the camps, provide ration for the most deserving and create awareness on COVID-19. JRS –TN staff stand in frontline in all these activities. The poor helps the poorest is a unique practice practiced among the refugees.

• We have approached our donors to raise funds to help the victims of COVID-19 .

Maduralaya

• In Maduralaya Rs.10000 of remuneration received by community members through various ministries were allotted to help the daily wage workers who are affected by lock down. Also, Rs.5000 was saved by curtailing the dinners of the community for the cause of helping these people.

SJC, Trichy

UNIQUE PRACTICE:

• St Joseph’s college chemistry department has prepared Joschem sanitizers which are used by the Trichy district health workers.
• Eight online courses are organized by the staff for our students
• Introduction to online course teaching is organized through zoom for college staff (3 days) by Fr principal

RESOURCE MOBILISATION:

• Resource mobilization Through social media
• College and school Staff and students.
• Through Alumni association

SXC, Palay

• Immediate launch of Xavier Sanitizer on 25th March 2020 and distribution of the same to the local policemen, some staff and students, Priests and Religious, two villagers of STAND our outreach Programme.

Thozhamai, KK

• Family members were contacted through WhatsApp. We received good response. More over the four community members contributed from our personal pocket money savings.

Carmel, Nagercoil

• Forty Four class teachers are involved in making a study of the families of totally 2000 students in connection with the socio-economical background and the situation of corona virus impact in their area.

CASE STUDIES

Mrs. Indumathi, one of the field officers JRS-TN, has been a source of inspiration who happened to trigger the youth club members from her monitoring camps that are entrusted to her in Kanyakumari Districts. She received numerous forwarded messages through WhatsApp and other Social Media about COVID-19. These messages projected badly about the chaotic situation of the people because of the invisible disease COVID-19. Their situation bothered her too much. She even felt restless. However, the situation became worse; she takes an initiative to organize the youth club members of Perumalpuram Camp in Kanyakumari district through WhatsApp and started sharing a video highlighting the necessary and suitable preventive mechanisms in the camps.

The adult volunteers and camp committee members of both in Perumalpuram and Kanyakumari districts collected some amount and bought a few cloth materials to prepare the face masks. The women who underwent the advanced level training and Aari work offered by JRS made use of the JRS Complementary Education Centre and prepared 1000 face masks for free distribution among camp inmates. This initiative of theirs has created an indelible impact in the neighbouring camps too. Inspired by the timely response of the youth in Perumalpuram, the nearby camps like Kolivizhai and Pagode also made use of JRS Complementary Education Centers. They started mobilizing the youth, preparing the herbal sanitizer and conducting the medical camps which helped to scan the camp inmates for Coronavirus infection.

Ms. Indumathi proudly said that the different types training such as leadership and socio awareness program, community mobilizations and the course on Media education offered by JRS made her socially responsible and helped her to mobilize the people in the camps and motivated the young minds to be in the front line to fight against COVID-19. Through this noble act, she has become a model for the youngsters to be socially responsible. A fire that kindles the other fire!

Mr. Mohana Das, aged 35, lives in Okkur Sri Lankan Refugee camp. He is closely associated with JRS –TN and renders his generous service in various ways for the refugee people in his camp. Having felt the pathetic condition and fearful state of the people in the camps he sought help from the Communist Movement in Chennai and received the Rs.30,000 as a donation for distributing the household provisions for the people in need. Mr. Mariadoss, Project Director of Trichy Zone, JRS-TN, Mr. Mohana Das and the youth volunteers in the Okkur camp invited the Tahsildar of Sivagangai district to distribute the groceries such as Rice, wheat, Noodle pockets, Onion and Tomato for almost 220 families in the camp. Mr. Amal raj, the leader of youth club formed by JRS-TN in Okkur, coordinated the vibrant youth in the camp and played a vital role in distributing the provisions to the deserving.

Besides providing the basic provision for the people in distress, Mr. Mohana Das also bought some cloth materials for providing the face masks for the people in the camp as well the host community near the Okkur camp. He stated “Solidarity with Humanity is the need of the hour today in all over the world” He also said that it was the smallest contribution from his part to prevent people from the deadly disease COVID-19.

Mrs. Mano Shanthi, the teacher of Life skill training offered for the drop out girls in the camps and Mrs. Swedha, one of the resource persons for the advanced level training offered by JRS-TN and an alumnus of a month-long training provided by JRS, stitched 1000 face masks and distributed to all the inmates of the camp. The ongoing formation and training given by JRS motivated them not only to sustain their livelihood but also to feel one with the broken humanity whenever the service is needed. The unity among the inmates for preventing the refugee people from the invisible disease tells that how we care for our brethren at the moment of the struggle is the real accompaniment.

LTI, Madurai

• Entertaining & educating the public on corona related info and Lenten season through 20 professional 3 minutes videos via Loyola Media Madurai in YouTube. By Dr. Xavier Antony SJ. (Production Costs: Rs. 1,50,00 per video X 20 = Rs. 30,00,000/-)
• Personal counseling by Frs Emmanuel SJ & Richard SJ through Helpline calls.

Thozhamai, KK

• It was a nice opportunity to visit the camp which is just 5 KM away from our community. People behaved very gently and rendered much cooperation. It was so interesting to note that they save some rice from each family received through ration and collect it in a common place so that if any one comes and asks for help they give this rice. In their poverty and deprivation they have the mind to help someone who is more in need. Very touching!