On April 15 we celebrate the anniversary of the death of Father Damien. In this time of pandemic, his figure gains a singular force. An "infected" for serving that devoted himself the end. The DSDI, moved by that spirit, has begun to give some response to the social consequences that the coronavirus is causing among the people it regularly serves.
The news tells us that in India, so far, there are not many infections or deaths. These are the unreliable official figures, as of today, April 16: 12,320 cases and 405 deaths. The huge cities of Delhi and Bombay, along with the state of Kerala, top the list of most affected areas. The government has decided to maintain the lockdown until May 3. Many analysts predict huge social problems due to the pandemic, the spread of which in India may be much greater than hitherto reported, and the consequences of the blockade. The fear of many people is not only to be affected or die by COVID-19, but how to survive day by day in this situation.
DSDI has started various activities among the families of immigrant workers, who came from interior villages, living in “slums” around Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha state. Also in the colonies of leprosy patients with whom it is usually in contact.
Cooked food has been distributed. Door-to-door health, hygiene and disinfection awareness programs have been organized, and around 1,500 cotton masks have been distributed. Some 340 families have been helped in these slums and colonies.
The next phase of activity that the DSDI will carry out in a few days will be the distribution of rice and dal (a type of lentil, common in daily food) to the families contacted in the aforementioned slums and urban neighborhoods. It is already available a stock of 1,125 kilos of rice and 240 kilos of dal. Amid a total blockade across the country, the administration is processing permit passes so that the police allow this food distribution program to be carried out.
On the other hand, the SSCC Region of India is collaborating with the “Sevakendra” institution, the main social action body of the Archdiocese of Calcutta, with financial aid and staff placed at its disposal.
This crisis affects us all, without a doubt. But it is also true that not everyone has the same resources to defend themselves. The weaker will suffer the consequences more. What DSDI is doing is simply a help that reaches some of those poorest of the poor. The complexity of the situation calls for answers at all levels.
04/19/2020