Act for Goa gets Felicitated
Posted on 08/12/2022
[totaldonations]
The Humanitarian Relief Society Goa or HRS Goa for short has been working to support those most in need in and around India since 2011. They have always stepped up to offer support no matter the disaster and the COVID19 lockdown was no different. We spoke to Asif Hussain, to find out more about this amazing organization and the aid they provided to people across Goa throughout this lockdown.
Humanitarian Relief Society Goa (HRS Goa) is a registered Society Registered under Society Registration Act 1860. Establish In the year 2011. The Office is located at 2nd Floor, Sahil Manzil Miramar Panjim – Goa. Humanitarian Relief Society Goa (HRS Goa)
VISION AND MISSION
HRS Goa undertakes Relief and Rehabilitation work for affected persons irrespective of religion, region, caste, and creed.
It plays an active role during any and all Natural and Man Made Calamities including, Riots and is presently very active during covid 19 .
HRS Goa Provides Financial Support for Education, Marriage, Medical Treatment, and basic personal needs of the economical weaker section of the Society. It also helps to disseminate information of availability of jobs and conducts career guidance and career counseling for youths.
Relief Work undertaken by HRS Goa Prior to COVID 19:
The HRS Goa has provided financial support during the floods in Assam, Uttarakhand, Chennai, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
HRS Goa helped reconstruct a house for a victim of the Canacona cloudburst flood a few years back.
HRS Goa provided financial support during the Earthquake in Kathmandu Nepal.
HRS Goa provided financial support for artificial limbs, heart surgery, mental illness, and paralytic persons Etc.
Humanitarian Relief Society has Organized Blood Donation Camps, Medical Camp, and Career Guidance Camps all across Goa.
HRS Goa is providing monthly Rations for Widows and Needy People.
HRS Goa Provided Relief material to the Wanermare Tribes in Nirankal Tisk Ponda Goa.
HRS Goa Relief During COVID 19:
When sudden Lockdown was declared the HRS Goa Leadership realized that the sudden Lockdown will affect homeless people, Daily wage earners, and other vulnerable sections of society making it difficult to support their daily needs, and many may face hunger. Therefore HRS Goa swung in action and conducted surveys around Mapusa, Margao, Vasco, Bicholim, Sankhlim, Sanvordem, Quepem, Tilamol, Canacona, and other parts of Goa to find out the needs of the above people. When the HRS Goa along with Jamaat e Islami Hind (JIH) Cadres realized that the vulnerable sections require food grains on an urgent basis it contacted local wholesale dealers for the requirement of Food grains and paid the cost from the funds available with it. HRS simultaneously appealed to the kind hearted and philanthropists for donations. People provided donations in cash and kind.
After receiving food grains in large quantities the material received was stocked at different Centers of Jamaat e Islami Hind (JIH). The JIH Cadres made family packets of the food grains containing Rice, Dal, Oil, Atta, Sugar, Tea Powder Potato and Onion etc. these food pockets were loaded into Vehicles and supplied to the needy people by taking precautionary measures as per Government guidelines.
The HRS and JIH Goa Volunteers supplied cooked food to the stranded Train passengers and Railway Police Twice a day.
HRS Goa had also contacted the Police and Administration for required permissions. As such whenever the Police received the Phone calls from the stranded Migrants from U.P, Bihar, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Jharkhand Etc, the Police contacted HRS Goa for relief material and the same was delivered to the needy along with police.
The HRS Goa also provided financial support amounting to approximately Rupees 5 lakhs. Around 200 HRS Goa and JIH Goa volunteers were engaged for 24X7 for packing and distribution of Relief material.
Apart from providing Food grains Old age people were given support in obtaining their necessary medicines from the Medical shops.
HRS Goa started delivery of food grains to the needy people on 24th March 2020 and continued up to 17th April 2020 on a daily basis, the Relief work continued intermittently from 17th April till date as per demand from needy people.
HRS also facilitated registration of labourers with the government food helpline.
HRS Goa collaborated with other civil society members to map the locations of stranded labourers.
What are some of the difficulties you have faced while trying to do this work?
During this period HRS Goa faced many difficulties during COVID 19.
Arranging food grains was a tough job. Managing crowds without the help of Police also provided to be challenging.
Though administrative support from government institutions did come forward there were instances where police restricted a small group of volunteers in Margao Railways station while they were engaged in distributing food and fruits to the stranded labourers. The volunteers had to resort to legal process to get themselves released. This was very disturbing.
The Relief work carried out on ground for the humanitarian crisis irrespective of religion class and creed provided internal satisfaction of our volunteers, and provided us with experience on how to handle this huge crises.
Our volunteers also felt satisfied knowing they were contributing to the promotion of communal harmony in the country.
We need Moral and Finance support of the people to carry forward our objectives of helping needy people irrespective of Religion, to promote communal harmony and peaceful coexistence.
How many migrants/day laborers have you fed/supported thus far
Rations worth close to 47lakhs were distributed in this Covid 19 lockdown period. Not only labourers but also local families who faced difficulties were helped in this period.
Want to take action or join a local campaign? Become a proud volunteer with Act4Goa!
