Like all global emergencies, the Corona Virus is most perilous for vulnerable populations. For the people living in the Kalwa slum in India, where 200,000 people are crammed into tiny huts and have few communal resources, the pandemic threatens to be lethal.   

In response to this imminent threat, GPM – which operates the only medical clinic in the community – is launching operation CoVER . Corona Virus Emergency Response to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in the slum.

The CoVER campaign has a 7-prong attack in curtailing the spread of the virus:

Expand medical services. Our Shrawan Medical Center, the only community health care center in the slums, will increase its operating hours with all medical staff voluntarily agreeing to help their community. Launch an awareness campaign. In line with government health directives large bill boards in Hindi will be on display outside the centrally located medical clinic explaining the preventive steps all residents can take to curb the spread of the virus. Provide accessible information. We will erect large information banners with vital information and instructions outside all our centers in the slums Distribute free soap. Thousands of hygienic hand-made soaps will be made by our Sundar India soap initiative and given out for free with an explanation on how handwashing is one of the best methods of stopping the spread of the virus Teach preventive measures. Along with the soap each person will receive a handout in Hindi with additional precautions each family in the community could take to protect their household. Educate schoolchildren. All children in our school will receive a special 6-page fun and educational comic book made by the Government of India that details ways to stay healthy and prevent the spread of the virus. Monitor children’s temperature. While our school (The Joshua Greenberger Learning Center) will be officially closed, as per government directions, we will have infrared non-contact thermometers at the school (as well as our health center) to help diagnose children with fever.

 

In other measures, we have temporarily closed down all our women’s collectives, our nutrition program, and our school. We hope to continue to be able to support the families that rely on this work even during the crisis.

Meanwhile, our safe drinking water facility and our medical center will be fully operational because they provide invaluable health and hygiene services to prevent the spread of the virus among the most vulnerable in the community.  

We are appealing to you for urgent assistance to ensure that the Coronavirus pandemic does not spread through the slums, and that the community continues to have the resources that they need to survive. Please help support the safe drinking water, the medical clinic, and the emergency measures that we are taking to prevent the Coronavirus from engulfing the Kalwa slum.  

Please donate here:

With much thanks and gratitude and wishing you all good health,

Jacob

All donations to Gabriel Project Mumbai is US 501(c)(3) tax-exempt EIN# 45-4541556