COVID-19 Impact
Decentralization to localization: the emerging community–PRI–government compact
As communities rose to fill the lacunae in rural public systems, it is time the potential of the social capital was recognized, and grassroots institutions strengthened for rural transformation
How coronavirus is changing life in the village
From silent play grounds to schools becoming quarantine centers, COVID-19 has upended village life. For the farmer who feeds the nation, receiving pandemic ration is the most unwelcome change
Mandatory registering on Co-WIN hampers universal vaccination
Erratic mobile connectivity, digital illiteracy and lack of devices to access the portal have made inclusivity in vaccination impossible in remote villages of Odisha
Nutritious meals ensure food security of marginalized during lockdown
Distribution of cooked meals sustain vulnerable tribes, the differently-abled and other needy people who do not have the resources to meet their basic needs
Bihar floods and COVID-19 – Is there a connection?
As available data point to a probable connection between floods and a higher incidence of positive coronavirus cases, the overlap needs to be considered in planning for 2021 monsoon
Why we need a gender-sensitive pandemic management
Mitigatory measures need to recognize the fact that infected women and women caregivers get a differential treatment in villages due to discriminatory and insensitive perspectives
COVID-19 and rural India: Is no news good news?
With lack of requisite health infrastructure and testing facilities, besides testing hesitancy among villagers, there is no clear picture on the impact of the pandemic in rural India
Lack of facilities in villages hamper COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment
An inadequate rural healthcare system, a lack of awareness about the spread of coronavirus, combined with the difficulty in home isolation leads to increase in number of infections in Odisha
Technology enables villagers access health consultations remotely
e-Sanjeevani, a technological application, enables rural patients consult doctors via mobile phones. It has come in handy for remote COVID-19 consultations during the pandemic and the lockdown
Volunteers enumerate patients in remote villages, deliver medicines
Where villagers lack access to health facilities, district administration and development organizations enlist volunteers to monitor patients’ health and deliver COVID-19 medicines at their doorstep
COVID-19 assistance helps villagers find a footing
Odisha Livelihood Mission’s financial support has enabled many vulnerable rural families, especially women entrepreneurs, to recover from the economic shock of the pandemic-induced lockdown
Trained tribal youth educate community about coronavirus
To prevent pandemic alienation of tribes, select local tribal youth were equipped with accurate information, so that they could demystify coronavirus myths among their community
Helping hands pull Jharkhand farmers from the brink
Farmers who were in the brink of starvation during lockdown were identified through vulnerable mapping. With quality seeds and training in better practices, they are reaping better yields
Women’s cooperative introduces insurance during pandemic
As fear of coronavirus gripped villagers during the initial phase of lockdown and their livelihood was lost, a federation of women introduced insurance schemes for their benefit
How rural India showed resilience, synergy during lockdown
Republic Day is an ideal occasion to celebrate rural India’s positive progress. VillageSquare recollects how communities used the lockdown productively, despite difficulties and loss of livelihoods.
Dairy cooperative creates a closed-loop replicable system
The lockdown made many dairy cooperatives lose business. However, a village cooperative in Anand has created a sustainable financial and ecological model, building synergy among farmers
Camel milk inspires hope for herders
With an increase in awareness of various health benefits of camel milk, its sale has increased, boosting rural economy and livelihood of traditional camel herders
In Kashmir, no migrants to reap rice harvest
Inexpensive migrant laborers work the paddy fields in Central Kashmir. As they have left due to the lockdown, farmers and their families are stepping in to harvest the crop
Teachers turn rural house fronts into classrooms
Teachers of a government school in a Jharkhand village have turned exterior walls of mud houses into blackboards and raised platforms into seats, to ensure students continue their education
Returned migrants take to smuggling for want of livelihood
In villages of West Bengal close to the Indo – Bangladesh border, migrants back home during the lockdown have been lured into smuggling for financial sustenance