SHGs Playing Crucial Role in Odisha’s Fight against Coronavirus

Bhubaneswar: As Odisha is taking all possible proactive steps to combat the threat of the Coronavirus, the women self-help groups (WSHGs) are playing a crucial role in helping the State in its fight against the deadly virus, which has been rapidly spreading its tentacles across the globe. 

From manufacturing masks and hand sanitizers, to providing ration at doorsteps of people to preparing meals to feed the hungry, the SHGs are collectively playing a major role amid the lockdown that the Odisha Government is strictly enforcing to contain the spread of the pandemic.

These WSHGs, part of the Mission Shakti movement launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik way back in 2001 to empower the women at the grassroots level, have become the dynamic force and emerged as an agent of change at this toughest time that human beings as a race rarely faced beyond their comprehension.

The Mission Shakti members are working round-the-clock in almost all districts of the State since the lockdown was imposed to provide basic essential services to the people at their doorsteps, simultaneously spreading awareness among the masses about the various preventive measures and guidelines issued by the government on the COVID-19.

As per the announcement by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on management of gram panchayat (GP) level community kitchens by WSHGs across the State to feed the most vulnerable people due to the lockdown, the self-help groups have come forward to take up the noble activity.

As per reports, as many as 379 WSHGs and their federations have been engaged in the process of providing cooked food to the needy and many more are in the process to work out the same.

As on March 29, nearly 369 GPs and 10 ULBs have been covered under the Community Kitchens initiative serving cooked meals to more than 23457 people. More GPs and ULBs will be covered soon in the programme to provide food to nearly ten lakh poor and needy people soon.

Besides community kitchen, the SHGs have also been roped in for home delivery of cooked meals. For instance, the Kendrapara district administration’s initiative to provide cooked meals at Rs 25 per packet to the people in Kendrapara Municipality has been highly successful. Other districts are also planning to adopt similar approaches to help the people.

Not only this, the WSHGs in Ganjam, Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj, Subarnapur, Puri and other districts have been engaged in a range of key activities including producing face masks and hand sanitizers, delivery of essential grocery items to the doorsteps of the people.

These SHGs are also playing a vital role in creating awareness in rural areas about social distancing and hygiene to curb the COVID-19.

The members of WSHGs, who have immensely contributed to the social and economic development of the State through their fruitful engagements in a range of productive activities like making handicrafts, handloom, food products, electricity billing, collection of water bills, stitching school uniforms, manufacturing sanitary pads, have once again proved their mettle at this time of urgency.

They also did huge awareness on coronavirus prevention with 70 lakh pamphlets being distributed to them. They also took the pledge on social distancing as per the direction of the Chief Minister.