When lockdown measures were announced to fight the Coronavirus battle, it plunged many rural communities into hardship and disrupted their lives. But the crisis instead united farming groups and rural communities. They have come out to help with donations of vegetables, water, food grains, and a lot more. These Good Samaritans from all walks of life have gone to great lengths to assist their people. In these times of anxiety, such tales bring hope to communities affected by the pandemic.

1. The Wonder Women

In the Coronavirus age, new heroes come to the fore with each passing day. In Sri Ram garden, our volunteers witnessed just that when some women – Selvi and Kumutha – donated large quantities of rice to help feed other villagers. Apart from that, they have also given our volunteers cooking essentials like pepper and sugar. Chithra, another woman from Sri Ram garden, also helped the cause by donating 5 kg of sugar along with some groceries.

2. A village of big hearts

In Thondamuthur village lives a retired teacher, Subramanium. To show his solidarity with Isha’s efforts, he donated 75 kg of rice along with some vegetables and mangoes. He says: “I am old and not able to take up labourious tasks like the energetic volunteers do, but I am impressed with the dedication and hard work of the Isha field team. This inspired me to contribute to the noble cause. I know that whatever I have donated will be given to the needy.” In the same village, Murugesan works as a small-scale farmer who has been hit by the pandemic. But that did not stop him from helping the cause as he donated 15 kg of suraikai (bottle gourd).

3. Cool refreshments

When our field team was putting up posters near a grocery shop at Andipalayam, the locals wanted to replay the act of kindness. A resident, Rajendran anna, who runs a shop and also moonlights as a deliveryman for Swiggy, offered cold drinks to all team members as a gesture of his appreciation for the volunteers’ efforts. Another lady, Theivambal, showed her care and appreciation for our Isha volunteers by offering them refreshing cool drinks. She said, “You all have been working under the sweltering heat, please take a break and drink some juice.”

4. Role of farmer producer organisations

Local Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) in villages around Coimbatore have stepped up their efforts to look after their communities in a time of crisis. Dhanasekar, a member of the local FPO in Alandurai panchayat, donated 20 large food packets, each containing 25 kg of rice. Meanwhile, another FPO member – Nalini – contributed 20 kg of organic jaggery and 20 kg of wheat. Throughout the lockdown, FPOs have been working to make sure that vulnerable groups, including children, elders, and migrant workers, get a helping hand.

5. Individual donations

Amid all the chaos caused by Coronavirus, many acts of kindness shine out. Vinoth, from Nallurvayal, heard about Isha volunteers’ efforts to #BeatTheVirus, and wanted to give back. He donated 200 kg of tomatoes to be used to help Isha in their cooking efforts. Vinoth even invited our volunteers to his farm and offered them the tomatoes. Uma Maheswari, a government official, donated 75 kg rice for Isha’s Action Rural Rejuvenation (ARR) campaign while Nalayini, from Theethipalayam panchayat, offered Isha 50 kg of rice to feed the vulnerable.

Such examples of compassion resonate throughout villages of Coimbatore. Amazed by their efforts, our volunteers say they are still receiving large donations of food grains. Despite many challenges and obstacles thrown up by the pandemic, the spirit of kindness unites the people of these rural areas.