COVID-19 Response

Amidst this global pandemic, AJSA with its voluntary effort stretched help to 3,75000 vulnerable people, frontline health workers working on ground including ASHA, Anganwadi workers and PRI members and helped build their capacity to prevent spread of covid -19 and worked for relief, livelihood, education and gender equity to empower and support vulnerable communities to get through the deadly storm of this pandemic.

AJSA helped in essential supplies, sensitization and building capacity of volunteers. More than 50,000 vulnerable families constituting – migrant workers, single women, old age and differently abled people were supplied with ration and essentials. Our inclusive approach during emergency helped many communities to survive through uncertain times.

AJSA is distributing soaps, sanitizers Kits, Oximeters and temperature meters and providing access to clean water, including installing hand-washing stations in schools and communities. We train our front-line health workers to identify suspected cases, safely isolate and temporarily care for patients until they can be referred for further treatment and potential testing. Health staff and volunteers receive necessary protective equipment including appropriate masks, gloves and disinfectant.

Along with supplies we helped casual women laborers to generate income by employing them to our women Self Help Groups (SHGs) who made masks and distributed it to Frontline health workers, Police Personnel, People with Disabilities, Migrant families, Street vendors and Government officials impacting over 5,50,000 people.

AJSA is conducting hygiene awareness campaigns among vulnerable communities. Community health workers and volunteers are providing critical and clear information regarding prevention, and encouraging people showing symptoms to seek care early. We express our gratitude to 4500+ volunteers who showed courage to train themselves as AJSA COVID-19 Warriors conducted mass Awareness Drives in districts of Odisha to sensitize over 5.75 lakh population on covid -19 preventive measures.

With issues rising outside in the world and people caged in homes, the underrepresented minorities faced violence inside their homes. To ensure the remotest of places could voice out and reach out for help, we set up 24 hours Helpline desk to address this violence against women and support them. AJSA made special efforts to support the needs of pregnant ladies, divorced single women, differently abled persons and women going through psychological issues by all possible means and forming 156 Self help women groups who conducted meetings in their respective villages and formed safe space for themselves to share and solve their issues.

8 AJSA set up cycle libraries to reach out to remotest areas and ensure learning did not stop for children. Our Barefoot Teachers who are a branch of the Bridge School program distributed books and organized sensitization campaigns to educate children on Covid-19 appropriate protocols and behaviors. Our children became instruments of change for passing their learnings in their families and communities quadrupling the awareness impact. To safeguard Mental Health of children with limited access and support their psychosocial needs, our Barefoot teachers organized events to engage them in learning activities through the medium of art, games and developing several learning opportunities and environments.

AJSA with the support of Government of Odisha extended help to provide immediate livelihood support to the impacted migrant community. In the Balangir and Kalahandi District of Odisha we helped families generate 112450 man-days of work through MGNREGA. Besides the migration survey work in these districts AJSA with the Agriculture and Horticulture Department Government of Odisha created various livelihood opportunities for these families in their homeland and strengthened the livelihood of 25300 families with individual plans for horticulture and agriculture activities. The following was supported and further looked after by the district administration of Balangir where our volunteers bridged to create awareness amongst the migrant communities and registered 23510 people with the Government for the planned welfare livelihood schemes.