This years the Kivunim cohort went to India and experienced the slums and underserved villages with a development organization called Gabriel Project Mumbai (GPM). As a Jewish inspired, non-sectarian grassroots organization we delved into the challenges faced by residents of these vulnerable communities.

The many hundreds of thousands of people in these margenilized communities are now suffering terribly under the threat of COVID19!

Entire families are starving as they have no livelihood, no money and no food. It is devastating their entire world.

Although we at Kivunim 2020 had to suspend our year, we can still work for the welfare of the communities we met only a few months ago.

So let’s come together with GPM and fight the destruction this pandemic is causing, with the Corona Virus Emergency Response campaign to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in the slum. Developed by GPM.The CoVER campaign has a 7-prong attack in curtailing the spread of the virus and alievate starvation in the slums:

Provide lifesaving nutrition to starving families. This is not hyperbole! Families are starving in the slums and GPM staff are accessing their status and providing staples for families in dire need. Food packages include: Wheat flour, Rice, Lentils (daal), Chickpeas, Beans, Onions, Potatoes, Milk, Salt, Sugar, Oil, Masala, Soap and in some cases wood for cooking.  Expand medical services. Our Shravan 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 and facemasks. Thousands of hygienic hand-made soaps and face masks will be 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.

We are reaching out to the Kivunim Community 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. 

Let’s come together as a Kivunim community and use all that we have to help those unable to help themselves.

Missing you all very much,

Emma

Emma Velinsky Kivunim 2020