आरोहनच्या कामाची माहिती करून घेणे ओघानेच आले, कारण आरोहनने विश्वस्त म्हणून त्यांच्या समितीत मला सामावून घेतले. जव्हार-मोखाडा हे आरोहनचे कार्यक्षेत्र. जव्हारला जायचं म्हणजे मनोरपुढे उजवीकडे निघणारा विक्रमगडचा रस्ता धरायचा. तिथून पुढे जव्हार. अंतर तसं फार नाहीये, पण रस्ता इतका खड्डेवाला की आपला उत्साह निम्माशिम्मा व्हावा. किंवा आपल्यापुढे काय वाढून ठेवलंय त्याची जाणीव करून देणारा. कारण खड्ड्यांनी बसणारे धक्के सौम्य म्हणावेत असे धक्के खेड्यातील परिस्थिती पाहता बसतात.

जव्हारला आरोहनचे कार्यालय आहे तिथलं काम उरकून धारेच्या पाड्याकडे निघालो. तुम्ही जर ‘धारेचा पाडा’ असा गुगलवर शोध घेतलात तर तुम्हाला काहीही माहिती मिळणार नाही. धारेचा पाडा साखरी ग्राम पंचायतीत मोडतो. इथली वस्ती तर आदिवासींचीच आणि ती ही अगदी थोडी. कोणी तरी म्हणाले की हजारहून अधिक नाहीये. मला तर वाटलं की तेव्हढीही नसावी.

“तिची स्कूटर दिसत्ये म्हणजे रेश्मा पोचली आहे; इथेच ‘माता-बैठक’ आहे.” माधुरी म्हणाली. गाडी थांबली. समोरच एक छोटं आणि बैठं घर होतं, आत गेल्यावर ध्यानात आलं की ते एक छोटं सभागृह होतं. म्हणजे एक खोलीच. केवळ ह्याच कारणासाठी बांधलेली! साधारण १८ बाय १८ ची. आत ‘माता-बैठक’ चालली होती. रेश्मा वीस-पंचवीस आदिवासी महिलांना माहिती देत होती. काही महिला त्यांची मुले घेऊन आल्या होत्या. मी, माधुरी व डॉ. शुभा त्यांच्यात सामील झालो. माधुरी विविध प्रोजेक्टवर देखरेख करते तर डॉ शुभा म्हणजे आरोहनच्या चीफ ऑपरेटिंग ऑफिसर.

मोखाड्यात १६९ बालकांचा कुपोषणामुळे मृत्यु झाल्याची बातमी २००६ साली आली तेव्हा अंजली कानिटकर व डॉ हेलन जोसेफ यांनी त्वरित ‘आरोहन’ची स्थापना केली ती जव्हार मोखाड्यात आदिवासींच्या पाड्यात जाऊन त्यांच्या स्वास्थ्यासाठी काम करायच्या उद्देशाने. (अनेक प्रश्नांचे पदर एकमेकात गुंतलेले असल्यामुळे केवळ ‘स्वास्थ्य’ किंवा ‘आरोग्य’ अश्या एकाच प्रश्नावर काम करून भागणार नव्हते, तर सर्वांगीण विकासावर लक्ष्य केंद्रित करावे लागणार होते, त्यामुळे कामाची दिशा नंतर बदलण्यात आली.)

“हे माता-बाल सुरक्षा कार्ड. नोंदणी झाल्यावर लगेच मिळते. ही तर गरोदरपणाची कुंडलीच आहे!” रेश्मा माता-बैठकीतल्या स्त्रियांना सांगत होती. “नोंदणीपासून डिलिवरी व लसीकरणापर्यंत सर्व माहिती त्यात असते.”

“हे तीन रंग बघा, हिरवा, पिवळा आणि लाल. काय वाटतं तुम्हाला? तुमचं बाळ ह्यापैकी कुठल्या रंगात असलं पाहिजे?”

“हिरव्या”

“फार छान. आपलं बाळ हिरव्या रंगात येण्यासाठी काय करावं लागेल?” रेश्माने रोख आता आहाराकडे वळवला. सुदृढ बालकाला आहार ‘तिरंगा’ – लाल रंगाचे टोमाटो, गाजर, पांढऱ्या रंगाचे दुध, भात, अंडी व हिरव्या भाज्या – असा तिरंगा आहार कसा द्यावा ते रेश्मा सांगू लागली. “तिरंगा आहार घ्यायला तुम्हाला लांब जायची जरूर नाही, हे सर्व घटक तुमच्या आजूबाजूला आहेतच.”

“इथे अजूनही अनेक बालकं अंडर-वेट असतात.” शुभा मला म्हणाली. “प्रश्न केवळ आहाराचाच नाही तर चुकीच्या समजुतींचा देखील आहे. आदिवासी समाजात अनेकदा गरोदर स्त्रिया पेज पिऊन राहतात. मग त्या ‘अॅनिमिक’ होतात. कसे आरोग्य राहिल त्यांचे; कशी वाढ होईल बाळाची?”

तुम्ही इंटरनेटवर शोधलं तर टाटा सामाजिक संशोधन संस्थेतील दोघांचा एक अभ्यासपूर्ण लेख सापडेल. ‘२००५ मध्ये केवळ पालघर जिल्ह्यातच ७१८ बालकांचा मृत्यू कुपोषणामुळे झाला. २०१६ मध्ये ६०० पेक्षा अधिक मुले दगावली.’ त्या दोघा संशोधकांनी ३७५ मुलांचा अभ्यास केला. त्यात ५९% मुलांची वाढ खुंटली असल्याचे निष्कर्ष त्यांनी काढले.

“इथे मुलींचे शिक्षण फार होत नाही. सातवीनंतर अनेकदा शिक्षण थांबतेच. मुलगी पंधरा सोळा वर्षांची झाली की तिचे लग्न होते. मग ती गरोदर राहते. हे सर्व मोठेच प्रश्न आहेत.”

“काल-परवांच पेपरात वाचलं की चौदा-पंधरा वर्षांची मुलगी आश्रम शाळेत गरोदर राहिली.”

“आश्रम-शाळेत मुले मुली एकत्र शिकतात, आणि तिथेच राहतात. तिथे मुलीने गरोदर होणे हे काही आश्चर्यकारक नाही. अनेकदा अश्या मुलींची लगेच लग्ने लावून दिली जातात. त्यांच्या समाजात तो फार मोठा विधी नसतो. मुलगी एक दिवशी मुलाच्या घरी जाते, बस्स!”

“इथे माता-बैठकीत ती मुलगी बघा. तिच्या हातात बाळ आहे. ती आई तर सोळा वर्षांची असेल-नसेल.”

“त्यांचंही कुपोषण होतं. अनेकदा अश्या मुली आपलं वय अठरा सांगतात. तरीही असं वाटतं की त्या लहान आहेत. लहान वयात माता होण्याचे अनेक दुष्परिणाम आहेत. केवळ सामाजिकच नव्हे तर शारीरिक देखील.”

रेश्मा महिलांशी त्यांच्या समस्यांबद्दल बोलू लागली. चतुराईने तिने चर्चा ग्रामसभेकडे वळवली आणि ‘महिला ग्रामसभेचे’ आयोजन करण्याचे महत्त्व पटवून दिले. पण मोठ्ठा अडसर तर महिलांनी आपल्या प्रश्नाबाबत बोलू लागण्याचा होता. रेश्मा महिलांचं मन वळविण्यात कांही प्रमाणात तरी यशस्वी ठरली, त्या बोलू लागल्या पाण्याच्या प्रश्नावर! “असे प्रश्न सोडवायलाच ग्रामसभा व पुढे ग्राम-पंचायत असते.”

महिलांनी सभेत बोलणे हा एक त्यांच्या मनातला मोठ्ठा अडसर आहे. तो पार करणे सोपे नक्कीच नाही.

आता रेश्माने चर्चेचा रोख स्थलांतराच्या समस्येकडे वळवला. आदिवासींच्या पाड्यात स्थलांतर ही एक प्रचंड मोठी समस्या आहे. केवळ शेतीवर जगता येत नाही, मग एक पीक काढले की शहराच्या दिशेने कूच!

“स्थलांतर अनेक रीतीने आयुष्य कुरतडते. कित्येक जण आपल्या वृद्ध माता-पित्यांना मागे सोडून जातात. मुलांच्या शिक्षणावर पाणी सोडावे लागते, आणि आरोग्याची आबाळ होते. संपूर्ण खेड्याच्या ‘इकोनोमी’वरच अपरिमित दुष्परिणाम होतोय.”

“आरोहनने शेतकऱ्यांना दुसरे पीक कसे घेण्यासाठी मार्ग दाखवले आहेत, मदत केली आहे. आज कित्येक शेतकरी तसे दुसरे पीक काढत आहेत.”

“काही विशिष्ट भागातील स्थलांतर पन्नास टक्के कमी करण्याचा मनसुबा आरोहनने ठेवला आहे, आणि ते देखील एक आवाक्याबाहेरचं उद्दिष्ट वाटतंय, यावरूनच कल्पना करा.”

मला आठवलं, रोटरीतर्फे आम्ही भिवंडीजवळ एक बंधारा बांधत होतो. मी बांधकाम चालू असताना तिथे गेलो तेव्हा तीन फुटाच्या काठ्या उभ्या करून कित्येक मजुरांनी संसार मांडला होता. “ते शेतीची कामं संपली की इथे कामासाठी येतात. होळीला परत आपल्या गांवी जातात,” बांधकाम कंत्राटदार मला सांगत होता. परतीच्या वाटेवर मी एका झाडाखाली स्थलांतरित कुटुंबाने थाटलेला संसार बघितला.

मी चालत्या गाडीतूनच फोटो काढला. माझ्यासारख्या शहरी वास्तव्य करणाऱ्यांना स्थलांतराचा प्रश्न किती मोठ्ठा आहे हे समजायला प्रत्यक्ष भिवंडी, मोखाडा अश्या भागात फिरायला हवे, आकडेवारी प्रश्नांची माहिती देते, पण त्याबाबत जाणीवा वाढवत नाही.

अत्यंत अस्वस्थ करणारी आणि गुंतागुंतीची परिस्थिती मी पहिली, आणि ती आपल्या समोर ठेवली आहे. कितीही काम केलं तरीही अपुरेच पडणार आहे. तरीही एकत्र येऊन ठोस पावलं उचलावीच लागतील. ते अपरिहार्यच आहे.

सरकार ही जगातली सर्वात अकार्यक्षम संस्था आहे यात वादच नाही. मग ते कोणत्याही पार्टीचे असो. अनेक कार्यक्रम पेपरवर आहेत, पण लाभार्थी त्यापासून वंचित आहेत हेच कटू सत्य आहे. आरोहनसारख्या संस्था कार्यरत आहेत हा दिलासा असला तरीही मुंबईपासून केवळ दीडशे किमीवर इतकी भयाण परिस्थिती असावी हा नेत्यांनी, व्यक्तींनी आणि समाजानेही कूपमंडूक वृत्ती ठेवल्याचा आणि आत्मकेंद्रित असल्याचा परिणाम आहे यात शंकाच नाही.

विवेक पटवर्धन

Vivek’s World (VW): Migration of labour is a humongous problem. Tell us the situation and what can be done to curtail migration.

Dr Shubalakshmi (Dr S): The context: The migrant communities in Palghar mainly belong to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) viz. Katkaris. They are either marginal farmers or landless working as farm labour in other’s farms or wage labours in brick kilns or nearby companies. Usually migration in these areas takes place in the non-monsoon months from November to March. They come back to celebrate Holi, only to migrate for another 3 months of April to June, till when the monsoon begins. Most of our tribal population fall prey to this vicious cycle.

The COVID crisis: This year due to the COVID crisis in the country the worst hit were the seasonal migrant labour who could not earn their wages as all forms of employment came to a standstill due to the lock down. They were left with no money or even basic necessities. This has affected not only the individuals, but their families and the community at large.

But as we say “Every cloud has a silver lining.” AROEHAN has been working in the Mokhada block since many years with the objective of reducing seasonal migration through water conservation and allied agriculture and alternate livelihoods.

Alternate livelihoods: We have started a pilot project with support from Siemens India Ltd. in 28 hamlets of Mokhada block to initiate alternate livelihoods for the marginal Self Help Groups. Some SHGs of landless and migrant farmers were identified and livelihood equipment like rice mill, papad making machine, oil crusher, and flour and masala mill have been provided to them. The members have been trained to operate the same. 50% of the SHGs have an earning potential between 5000 – 15000 rupees through regular and optimal utilization of the rice mill and the flour mill. This has also helped the neighbouring villagers in reducing their time and cost of travel and engaging in other forms of activity.                                  

Non-monsoon agriculture: Some farmers were also encouraged to take up Rabi cropping in the non-monsoon months. An interaction with the farmers, gave an insight into their cropping pattern. They usually prefer paddy cropping during the monsoons and buy other condiments like chilly, onions and vegetables for their regular use at high prices. This is when the team, felt that multi cropping with training on good agricultural practices esp. during the non-monsoon months will help the farmers with an additional source of income and reduce migration in the long run. Leafy vegetables, fruit vegetables, gourds, roots and tubers, groundnuts and sunflower were selected as crops to be grown on 10 gunthas of land each. The farmers could earn an income of around Rs10-15K with the sale of produce in the local markets. This not only helped the community but also the nutrition requirement of their own families. This income generation activity prohibited them from migrating elsewhere in search of work. They were spared from the harshness of the corona pandemic in way of lack of money and essentials and could lead a better daily life in comparison to the other migrants.

What can work? Empowering people with alternate livelihood opportunities and multi-cropping or generating income from agriculture enables communities to stay in their local villages and not venture out in search of menial wage employment during such pandemic or crisis situations. Availing government employment schemes through MNREGA for village development activities in one’s place of residence will also help people to generate income and thus curtail migration.

VW: Aroehan wants to ensure that in the next five years all children will attend school, there will be no child ‘out-of-school’. That’s a very ambitious goal. Tell us please, what was the situation on the education front pre-Covid and what is it now?

Dr S: The context: For a child to drop out of school or remain irregular, the reasons are manifold. Most of the schools in the tribal areas have very poor infrastructure and lack of WASH facilities as per norms. The nearest secondary school is distant from their residence. Caring for the younger sibling or migrating for work along with parents is other areas of concern. Even though students are enrolled in the schools, they usually drop out or are irregular due to lack of child friendly infrastructure and other reasons mentioned above, not to exclude the student – teacher ratio gap and lack of child friendly learning practices and pedagogy.

Usually the children attend the school by chance or force, rarely by choice. The other attraction for the family is the food that is served at the school, not to talk of its nutritional value but surely helps decrease the burden on the family especially the woman to feed another mouth.

The COVID crisis: This year due to the CORONA pandemic, the schools were the first ones to lockdown in the beginning of March to contain the spread of the virus- a loss of almost 2.5 months of learning and exams esp. 10th and 12th Std. and also an anticipated decline in the already poor nutritional status of the children.

Education and Nutrition: Timely meals are provided to the children in the Ashram schools and the mid-day meal at the Zilla Parishad schools. The question lies to whether the children have the same access to food facilities at home where their parents are busy at work and cannot manage to make both ends meet with their meagre incomes and lack of food security.

The children have been promoted to the next class on the basis of their annual performance. With children at home, lack of educational facilities at the school due to the closure and also at the home front, it has become very difficult for the parents to monitor the child’s activities. The parents usually tend to feel that the sole responsibility of the child’s upbringing lies with the school.

The government authorities and the schools have made every effort to bring in various learning platforms through NGOs and other sources in the villages so that the children are not idle. Not everyone is familiar to digital and visual learning methods including the teachers in the rural and tribal areas. Online education is fine in the cities and semi-urban areas, but with the absence or limited availability of electricity and internet access and lack of awareness or education among the caretakers, this still becomes a distant dream for the students residing in far to reach tribal hamlets. 

A few solutions to this problem could be setting up a central community kitchen to cater to the needs of children of all age groups, setting up of child friendly schools with improved infrastructure and educational facilities, an educational hub or a safe drop-in centre for continued learning and overall development of a child.  

VW: Thanks Dr Shubalakshmi

Vivek S Patwardhan

Getting familiar with their projects became essential as I was invited to join Aroehan as a trustee. Aroehan works in the Jawhar – Mokhada area of Dist Palghar (in Maharashtra). Take Ahmedabad Highway, travel up to Manor and then turn right to take a road leading to Vikramgad. The road has more potholes than the lunar craters. Perhaps it is a warning sign; the traveller must get ready to receive more severe shocks; I am referring to the living conditions in villages and of villagers.

We finished our work at the Jawhar Office and started for ‘Dharecha Pada’. Pada means a hamlet. A few Padas or hamlets dispersed over a large area makes a village in these scarcely populated hilly terrains of Mokhada. I guessed the population of Dharecha Pada may be less than a thousand. Dr Shuba, Madhuri and I reached Dharecha pada.

“I think she is already inside, I see her two-wheeler” Madhuri said, “A Mata-Baithak is organised here.” ‘Mata Baithak’ is a meeting of women. We alighted from our car in front of a small building. It was a small room, about 18’x18’in size, and it was obvious that the room was made for meetings. Mata Baithak was in progress. About twenty or twenty-five women made the audience, some carried children in their arms. Dr Shuba, Aroehan’s Chief Operating Officer, Madhuri, who supervises a few projects and I joined the meeting. Somebody hurriedly put three chairs for us. Reshma who works with Aroehan, was conducting the meeting.

In Mokhada 169 infants died due to malnutrition in 2006. Anjali Kanitkar and Dr Helen Joseph, moved quickly to establish Aroehan. ‘Aroehan’ is actually an acronym of ‘Action Related to Organisation of Education, Health and Nutrition’ and it is registered as NGO. The initial focus was on malnutrition eradication or health. However, they realised that the multiplicity and inter-contentedness of various factors that contribute to high malnutrition deaths required an integrated approach to the problem resolution.

“This is Mata-Baal Suraksha Card (Health Card of Mother and Child). This is an ‘encyclopaedia’ of pregnancy.” Smile on everybody’s face! Reshma was explaining to the Adivasi (Tribal) women. “It contains all information about a pregnant woman’s registration, delivery and inoculation of the infant.”

Reshma holds Mata-Baithak

“Look at these three colours or three zones.” Reshma was held open the Health Card, and pointed to a diagram. “Three zones – Green, Yellow and Red. Ideally, in which zone your child should be?”

“Green”, a woman replied.

“Good. What needs to be done to make sure that the child is in green zone?” She introduced healthy diet. She was explaining how they should provide ‘Tiranga’ or tri-coloured diet. Tiranga is easily understood because that’s what the national flag is called; it has three colours saffron, white and green. Saffron colour included tomatoes, carrots, white included milk, eggs and rice and green included leafy vegetables. “You don’t have to travel outside your village, all the ingredients of tri-colour diet are available here.”

Note: I was later informed that following is the correct information:
“The food tricolour depicts the following food groups:
Saffron: Body building foods which include all the pulses(dals), meat, eggs and milk – protein sources.
White: Energy giving foods which include all the grains, roots and tubers, oilseeds, ghee, milk products, sugar – carbohydrates and fat sources
Green: Protective foods which include all the leafy vegetables, fruits and fruit vegetables, jaggery, iodised salt, spices – vitamin and mineral sources.
The Ashok Chakra depicts water.”

Dr Shuba turned to me. “Several infants are born as under-weight babies in this Mokhada area. Wrong diet is a problem, but the wrong beliefs and practices about a pregnant woman’s diet is a greater problem. Many tribal women survive only on ‘pej.’ Pej is the water in which rice is boiled. Their diet becomes woefully inadequate. How can the pregnant woman remain healthy and will it not affect the development of the baby? Most of the pregnant women become anaemic, their haemoglobin drops to abysmally low levels.”

Mata Baithak in progress

Internet throws up a study of two researchers from Tata Institute of Social Sciences on malnutrition in Mokhada. ‘In 2005, child malnutrition claimed as many as 718 lives in one single district namely Palghar. Even after a decade of double-digit economic growth, in 2016, more than 600 children died due to under-nutrition in the same district.’ ….. ‘Our study level estimates suggest that 59% of children were stunted.’

“Education of girls usually stops at 7th Class. A 15 or 16-year-old girl is often married in tribal villages. This is quite common. Then she gets pregnant at an age she should not. These are big problems to overcome.”

“I read recently that a fourteen-year-old girl got pregnant in an ‘Ashram School.’

A story in ‘Firstpost’ mentions, ‘In November last year, (2016) the whole state of Maharashtra woke up to a horror — a tribal school in Buldhana was derecognised after reports emerged that girl students are being sexually assaulted there. The incidence only came to light after a girl, who was visiting her parents, complained of stomach-ache and was later found to be pregnant. As the episode unfolded, several other girls came forward complaining of sexual harassment, and at least three of them were pregnant. Eleven people were arrested, including school trustees, the headmaster and a few teachers.

“Ashram Schools provide hostels facility, boys and girls stay there. So, it is not a surprise that a young girl got pregnant. Such cases are not infrequent. They get them married – there is hardly any ceremony – sometimes she moves to the boy’s home, that’s it. Poverty! In a rare case there is a problem if the boy disowns her.”

“Take a look at some women in this meeting (Mata-Baithak). The one with a child in her arms looks under-age. She may be just about sixteen.”

“The are also under-nourished. If you ask them, girls will tell you that they are eighteen years old, but I feel that may not be correct age. There are many bad consequences of an under-age mother – not only at physical but also social level.”

Young Mothers At the Mata-Baithak

Reshma was now discussing the problems faced by women in the pada or hamlet. She spoke about ‘Gram-Sabha’ (Villagers’ Body). ‘People use the forum of the Gram Sabha to discuss local governance and development, and make need-based plans for the village. The Panchayat implements development programs under the overarching mandate, supervision and monitoring of the Gram Sabha. All decisions of the Panchayat are taken through the Gram Sabha and no decision is official and valid without the consent of the Gram Sabha.’

Reshma was persuading all women to organise a Mahila (Women’s) Gram Sabha. The women spoke about the problem of drinking water. Incidentally Mokhada region has a very high rainfall, but the villagers face scarcity of drinking water from march to July.

“You must organise Mahila Gram Sabha to voice your problems. Those will then be raised before Gram Panchayat effectively.” Although Reshma’s words made some impact, the real problem was that tribal women would not speak up in a large gathering. And that was, and remains, a big hurdle to cross.

Reshma turned to the issue of migration of villagers. For the tribal villages this is a huge problem. They can’t survive only on one-crop-agriculture, so they move to cities or towns in search of jobs.

“Migration eats into your life in many ways. Migrating men and women leave behind their aged parents who are left to fend for themselves. Children leave their school. They stay under harsh conditions during the migration period, affecting their health adversely. The entire economy of the village suffers.”

“We have helped farmers produce second crop. Several farmers have been harvesting second crop.”

“Aroehan has decided to take immediate measures to reduce migration of people by 50% in certain area. And that target appears to be almost unsurmountable – you can imagine the magnitude of this problem of migration.”

I was leading my Rotary Club’s project to build two check dams near Bhiwandi. I went to inspect the work when I noticed that a few families of labourers had set up a shade – well, you can’t call it home or even dwelling place – by erecting three feet high sticks and placing a torn saree over it. They were staying under it!

“They come down (climbing down the hills) here in search of a job, and return to their villages for the Holi Festival” the construction supervisor who had engaged those migratory labourers informed me. I was shocked. On my way I noticed a family camping under a tree; once you think of migration, you start spotting those who have migrated.

Migrating tribal families live under horrible conditions

I clicked this photograph. If you wish to grasp the humongous scale of migration, you should travel in Mokhada area. Statistics can provide you information, but sensitization to a problem is the result of seeing migration; statistics fails to sensitise us.

This is a very complex situation. It is multi-dimensional. Any amount of work and support will fall short of eradicating, transforming the situation; that’s my initial assessment. We require long term solutions and some immediate short-term measures, and, of course, a group of committed persons.

There should be no doubt that the Government is the most ineffective organisation, be it of any party. There are many programs and measures which are designed to ameliorate the conditions, but no benefit reaches the people who should be the real beneficiaries. It is heartening that NGOs like Aroehan are seized of the problem.

This horrible situation of poverty, malnutrition, migration, unhealthy practices and low literacy level has undoubtedly resulted from short-sightedness of leaders as well as their preoccupation with their own welfare. Can this be disputed?

Vivek S Patwardhan

The announcement of PM Modi on March 24 created unprecedented problems for migrant workers. Many of them started walking to reach their home town, in some cases a few hundred kilometres away. They went without food and water.

Aroehan’s Project staff realised that they had to track down such workers and provide help. They found out migrant workers working on brick kilns were stranded at certain villages in Palghar. The Project staff sent an SOS.

“We have identified migrants on Brick kiln in Palghar Block who are in need of basic things in this lockdown villages: Dhuktan – Katkaripada, Diwekarpada and Ranoli (90), Sakhre (38), Haloli-Padospada (18). We must provide them with Grocery and other basic items.” Providing food and other essentials meant substantial cost, a quick estimate informed us that it will cost a little more than Rs. One Lakh for this group.

Dr Shubalakshmi, COO of Aroehan sought help. Aroehan had not planned for this eventuality. But the situation was such that it was not possible to ignore. How can any NGO worth its salt turn Nelson’s eye when a group of people are in a helpless situation?

An appeal was made through a post on Facebook. And also mails were sent to well-wishers requesting donations. The response was much more than what we wished for. In about fifteen hours we collected a little less than Rs. Two Lakhs!

The project team moved with speed. They immediately met 19 families (say about 70+ persons) at Dhuktan and provided each family with a package containing Rice 5 Kg, Tea 500 gm, Sugar 1 Kg, Tur Dal 500 gm, Masala + Turmeric, Edible Oil 1 Litre, Toothpaste and a Soap.

Immediate Help Was Possible Because of Instant Response of Donors

This is the story of Aroehan’s help reaching within 24 hours of identifying the problem. And of responsible citizens who have contributed immediately. Aroehan’s project team will cover the rest of the needy workers tomorrow.

Kudos to the donors who responded within 15 hours. They made money available to Aroehan. Kudos to the Aroehan Team which has shown exceptional speed of response to help the needy.

The story will repeat and continue tomorrow. And our belief in the people’s willingness to support the vulnerable section of society is strengthened.

Vivek S Patwardhan