Page 14 - Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2021-22

Rebuilding Working with

rural lives and the community

livelihoods to fight COVID-19

Reliance Foundation, through its Information Services,
provided a lifeline for rural communities during the
pandemic. In fact, most programme implementation
and monitoring was conducted virtually, including
coordinating with NGOs supporting its missions.

Reliance Foundation teams were able to connect rural
communities with government officials and experts
on issues such as enrolling for government schemes,
inputs on agriculture and allied services, and access to
temporary procurement centres and markets, as well
as subsidised farm machinery and employment drives.
Residents also received information on COVID-19
safety measures and assistance with medicines and
support systems such as oxygen plants. There was an
increased focus on protective and preventive methods
like vaccination and adherence to COVID-19 The villages of Patan district in Gujarat were severely
safety protocols. hit by the second wave of COVID-19. Village leaders,
Primary Health Centres and Community Health
Among other initiatives, Reliance Foundation used Centres came together to manage the sudden spike
audio-visual conferences to provide specialist help and in cases. The District Administration worked with
advice to Gram Panchayat leaders and rural community Reliance Foundation to conduct a multi-location audio-
groups on public schemes for financial support and conference drawing together 398 Sarpanches on April
livelihood options for farmers, fisher folk, livestock 26, 2021. The Patan District Collector then briefed
owners and migrant labourers. These services reached the Sarpanches on safety guidelines and measures to
over four million rural Indians, providing invaluable define village-level containment zones and implement
livelihood support. local lockdowns. The Sarpanches were also urged to
expedite local vaccination drives.
Meanwhile, Reliance Foundation’s Mobile Medical
Units (MMUs) in rural communities continued to raise Within a week of the meeting, the local Health Centre
awareness about precautionary measures alongside received 20 oxygen bottles, six additional beds
their usual medical services. As part of Reliance and a grant to install an oxygen plant. The district
Foundation’s wider awareness initiatives, around administration reached more than 1,890 people in
25 lakh people were informed about precautionary 17 villages support from Reliance Foundation in
measures, including social distancing, mask-wearing, mobilising volunteers and mounting vaccination drives.
hand-washing, avoiding crowded places and adopting These efforts were begun at short notice and then
a healthy diet. In 20 states, Reliance Foundation also sustained through the year, making Patan a model of
provided information on COVID-19 vaccination centres participatory governance in the fight against COVID-19,
and symptoms to watch out for. setting an example for communities across the country.

14 Reliance Foundation