Lakhan Salunkhe, migrated to Pune in search of work from a remote village of Marathwada. A construction worker, he earns up to Rs 500 daily. Now, he is struggling to satisfy his basic and primary needs with the work coming to a standstill due to the ongoing lockdown amid Covid19 outbreak.
There are many daily wage workers like him – they work in restaurants, work on construction sites, they iron clothes, they deliver goods– and perform many other hidden/ unacknowledged tasks. Millions of daily wage earners, labourers and migrant workers in India are severely affected by the on-going lockdown to fight the global pandemic. This marginalized community of workers who need to earn every single day in order to be able to afford their daily meals are fighting for very survival at this juncture, as all avenues for daily employment are at standstill.
It is now up to us, the better blessed amongst other humans to step up and support this hapless community in its darkest hour of need. The Crowdfunding community has responded to the need of the times supporting many corporate and individual fundraisers, together doing their bit in supporting the worst affected amongst us – the daily wagers. A few crowdfunding platforms like Crowdera & GiveIndia have started their own campaigns urging people to donate in these times of need. The funds collected shall be used for the benefit of the daily wagers and the migrant communities, so that they can survive through the tough lockdown times with dignity. The funds received would be disbursed to beneficiaries through their extensive network of verified charities.
Food is a basic requirement for our survival. The marginalised communities also require basic nourishment for their survival and for survival of their families. Crowdfunding platforms will use the funds collected to pledge food support for marginal families in the form of cooked meals or ration support. Medical support is also a crying need of the hour. Those who can’t afford food cannot be expected to equip themselves with basic sanitation supplies. People’s donation will help provide basic medical kits containing 50ml sanitizer, washable mask, immunity boosting cases and informational leaflet, which will help them in warding off the virus. In addition to basic food and medical support, platforms like Crowdera is supporting its charity partners to raise funds for assisting the daily wagers in bearing other basic living costs like rent and electricity charges till they are able to return to work once conditions improve.
Crowdera, also plans to provide pro bono support to companies that employed a large workforce like drivers and delivery agents, who are now left with no funds to support their families, some of them are even stuck in different states away from their families. These companies are receiving Crowdera’s premium team fundraising with out any fee, so these companies can syndicate with their employees to fundraiser together for their affected workforce.
As someone has appropriately said, “When an issue in society emerges, be the first to volunteer”. It is our social responsibility to collectively take care of the whole society. In this case, our small contributions can together make a big positive impact in society. The crowdfunding platforms have a network of NGOs which in turn have ready grassroot level networks which can put the donations to use immediately in a planned manner, thereby bringing transparency and efficiencies in the system and assured relief to the deserving.