Partnership Report with Habitat for Humanity, India

Support to the 35 Families of the Visually Impaired Individuals at Vangani, Maharashtra

Project Supported By: RZIM Life Focus Society

Project Background:

The COVID-19 Impact on the Visually Impaired Community:

On the midnight of 22^nd March 2020, Sunday, Maharashtra Government announced that Railways will stop their Local train passenger services to contain the spread of Coronavirus in Mumbai and the suburbs. These services are on halt till 31s March 2020. Stopping of the services has not only made a greater impact on the regular commuters but also on the visually impaired community. As 90% of their income is solely dependent on Local trains, these individuals now simply have become unemployed for more than 10 days. As daily wage workers like construction workers, these individuals also have to earn their bread and butter on a daily basis. Having 10 days of loss of employment will mean that the hunger will kill them first then the coronavirus.

This project aims to support these families of the visually impaired individuals, with the humanitarian approach and making them self-reliant as well as resilient in the critical situation of Covid-19 outbreak.

Project Goal:

The overall project goal is to Support to the Families of the Visually Impaired Individuals at Vangani, Maharashtra in the context of Covid-19 Outbreak. The visually impaired individuals and dependent family members will be ensured of food security, essential household facilities, and ensured preventive health care.

Project Objective

To reduce insecurity of the visually impaired families caused due to food and household needs shortage by Covid-19 outbreak.

Project Activities

1. Identified needy visually impaired families in Vangani Grampanchayat and listing done.

2. Meeting the with Govt. authorities of Vangani Gram Panchayat for distribution of FEK (Food Essential Kits) to 35 families and sought necessary permission for the distribution. Distribution place finalized with the support of Vangani Grampanchayat officials.

3. Procurement of Food Essential Kits and Storage at distribution place.

4. Distribution of Food Essential Kits to the identified beneficiary families.

5. Awareness on Sanitization and safe distancing awareness to 35 families and distribution team members of HFH India and other volunteer.

6. Progress of the distribution activities as per schedule

7. Total 35 number of families benefited through project activities

Beneficiary details:

Through this project Habitat intends to support 35 families of visually impaired individuals. The average family size is 4 members in each family.

Operational Methodology

• Habitat India joined hands with local District/Block/Village level authorities to spread awareness on the coronavirus.
• The trained community worker helped in distribution of Family Essential Kits.

Project Outputs:

• All 35 number of families will avail Family Essential Kit.

Project outcome

• All 35 families of visually impaired individuals remained indoors in the Covid-19 outbreak due to the essential food and household facilities being provided by Habitat India

Thank you letter for Grampanchayat