Liberal Donors

The pandemic which has unleashed a debilitating effect on the global economy seems to have only strengthened the resolve of our villagers to #BeatTheVirus. Not only are they going out of their way to help Isha volunteers in providing food and assistance to the people, the farmers too are also displaying extraordinary empathy for the vulnerable communities by way of bighearted donations.

The farmers are making an indelible impact on the fight against Coronavirus by donating vegetables for the village community. The overwhelming response of these donors who have limited means at their disposal has also enthused our volunteers who have been distributing cooked meals daily to ensure that nobody goes hungry in the villages of Coimbatore.

In Thondamuthur village a small-scale farmer, Murugesan, recently donated 15 kg of suraikai (bottle gourd). Another farmer, based in Iruttupallam, gave 25 kg of jackfruit and 14 kg of mango.

In his farm, Murugesan has also given shelter to several migrant labourers from Assam who had come to Coimbatore for work. They had got stranded in the lockdown. While the farmer has given the labourers a place to stay, our volunteers provide food daily to the labourers and their family members.

Such examples of compassion are not isolated, instead such instances are growing in frequency across villages. A farmer in Alandurai panchayat recently pledged that he will donate 100 kgs of pumpkin every week and Ilango, a member of a local Farmer Producer Organisation, donated curry leaves and coconuts.

Ganagaraj, an advocate who stays in Deenampalayam village too has pitched in with a donation of 36 kg of ladies finger while 16.5 kg of coriander was contributed by Eswaramoorthy from Kaliyannanpudur in Thondamuthur block.

While these donations have helped add to the variety taste of the food being distributed in the villages, these selfless acts have also drawn community members and volunteers closer together.

Medicine Man

A resident of Narasipuram village, Shamboornam, aged 55, was in a fix. She has been advised by her doctor to take medications daily to treat her ailments but she had run out of medicines. With no medicine shops open owing to the lockdown she turned to an Isha volunteer, Jayakumar, for help. The next day Jayakumar procured the medicine and gave it to the ailing woman.

Local community members and volunteers are now bound by invisible ties of compassion and empathy. While villagers have extended help to volunteers in distribution of food and spreading awareness, tireless efforts of volunteers have endeared them to the community members. Be it for medicines, food or other forms of assistance, the villagers now turn to the volunteers.

Our Isha Outreach warriors are braving grave odds each day in an effort to support the most vulnerable during times like these. They aren’t hunkered down by the threat, even if it means putting their health at risk.#BeatTheVirus pic.twitter.com/E5xPUCNoP5

— Rally For Rivers - Cauvery Calling (@rallyforrivers) May 2, 2020