After the hit of COVID-19 in 2018, it irreversibly transformed our lives. The voyage was difficult, notably for those who are economically unstable.
Hundreds of coal miners were laid off when the government announced a statewide lockdown since the mines were also shut down. These daily wages allowed their families to eat and sleep better, and their children to attend low-cost schools.
Unfortunately, due to the exceptional severity of the crisis, many coal miners’ families were forced to endure several days without food.
Nand Care Foundation, created by Deepak Kumar, 26, has been working to improve the lives of coal miners and tribal tribes in and around Dhanbad, Jharkhand, since 2015. In reality, the non-profit also give education to children of coal miners.
With the help of the Donatekart platform, the NGO was able to raise approximately Rs 3.86 crore to distribute grocery packages to thousands of coal miners and tribals, having a significant effect on the community. It also helped a few coal miners make it through the second wave.
Coal mining provides a living for thousands of families mostly around Dhanbad. It’s their only source of revenue, despite the danger. Their pay is insufficient to feed themselves and their children as they lift big weights and scale high heights. During the second wave, they were all sleeping on an empty stomach.
Coal miners’ plight
Residents of Dhanbad frequently complain of recurrent coughs, headaches, and health concerns, such as tuberculosis, asthma, and other respiratory ailments, as a result of the nature of their work.
Every day, they risk their lives in a career that is filled with explosions, landslides, and collapsing mines. Despite their best efforts, selling coal is a huge undertaking.
Families trek large distances every day to sell coal for a pittance. Coal miners do not get a reprieve. Hunger, on the other hand, is still their biggest problem. During the second wave, their struggle for even a single meal per day became even more intense.
Pandemic Times
Deepak founded the Nand Care Foundation, which taught destitute children of illegal coal miners on the outskirts of Dhanbad, with his sister Divya Gupta and friend Shaniv Tiwari. The NGO now serves 98 panchayats in Dhanbad with the help of roughly 1,000 volunteers.
The NGO decided to visit neighbouring villages and assist tribal communities during the lockdown, while schools were closed. They’ve been witnessing the tribals’ plight since March 2020, when they went on a meal distribution drive.
It decided to raise finances and deliver food grains to the community after seeing the peasants’ acute livelihood problems. Nand Care is supported by large corporations and relies on donations and funding via crowdsourcing platforms such as Donatekart. According to Deepak, Donatekart accounts for over 80% of the organization’s donations.
Nand Care has given away around ten lakh meals to the poor in and around Dhanbad. Throughout the pandemic, they provided them with free grocery packs to 10,000 households in coal miners’ and tribal settlements. In addition, the NGO donated a one-time ration kit as well as cash to help people get through the crisis.
Mad4India wishes the luck and continued success and acclaim in the future. You can connect with the organisation through their Facebook page Nand Care Foundation
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