2020 pandemic relief efforts

Mar 18: All centers closed

Suspended operations of all Pudiyador centers in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19

Mar 19-21: Educational workshops at Pudiyador

19th: Workshops were conducted for children and teenagers in groups of 5.

20th: Trained teachers to spread awareness in the communities.

20th-21st: Teachers visited children's parents door to door.

Mar 21-23: Community workshops

Mar 21-23: Pudiyador team + teachers went door to door to allay fears, provide basic safety instructions, and to give out hand soap and brochures

(Mar 22: "Janata" curfew)

Mar 23: Pudiyador's Ground Team started working from home.

Mar 24: Pan-India 21-day lockdown announced

The country had 4 hours to prepare for the 21-day nation-wide lockdown. No clear information about government's plans for daily wage earners.

Misinformation and rumors were rampant. People panicked.

Mar 25-28: Information gathering
Phone calls were made to communities to identify families in dire need. Identified specific needs: cooking supplies, medicines, and other essentials.

Better understanding of what the government was going to supply.

Calls to local government offices and other NGOs: when would rations arrive? What are rules of lockdown? (e.g., NGOs banned from providing cooked food)

Mar 25-28: Internal planning

How to decide which families to include (and therefore which ones to exclude).

Where to source grains, vegetables, cooking supplies from; figuring out transportation options.

Who will go to which communities and how. How to protect the team and the families while dropping off the supplies.

Mar 31: Emergency rations

No food was available for purchase in bulk yet.

Packaged Pudiyador's supply of dry foods (meant for daily programming) into family-sized kits and distributed them to families who had already run out of food by then.

Apr 1: Began raising funds

Through phone calls & personal messages to our friends and families, social media, and applying for grants.

Donations started trickling in from all over the world, each one ensuring that at least one family would be fed for a week.

Apr 1-5: Supply chain logistics

Calling suppliers, finding routes to take during lockdown, getting permits for food transportation, distribution.

Allocating ground team members, teachers, and Pudiyador teenagers to individual families.

Apr 6: Distribution to families

Bought groceries and other essentials from wholesale stores in Choolaimedu (~10km away).

Distributed relief packages to 176 families in need from 4 Pudiyador communities.

Relief packages contained: 7kg rice, 1kg toor dal, 1L oil, 1kg sugar, 1kg wheat flour, 1kg onion, 1kg potato, 1 pack sanitary napkins
(families with infants additionally received 100g ghee and 1/2 kg green gram)

Apr 14: Pan-India lockdown extended to May 3rd

Pudiyador is working with other NGOs to identify homeless settlements, extending our reach to 1000 families in need.

India extended the nation wide lockdown until May 3rd in an effort to contain the continued spread of the coronavirus with focus given to existing hotspots.

Apr 23: Second round of distribution

Distributed relief packages to 175 families in need from 4 Pudiyador communities.

Relief packages contained: 7kg rice, 1kg toor dal, 1L oil, 1kg wheat flour, 1kg onion, 1/2 kg chickpeas, 1kg potato, 250g fried gram, 1 pack sanitary napkins

May 1: Pan-India lockdown extended to May 17th

The government has moved to a district-wide zone classification system (red, orange and green) to combat the coronavirus, extending the lockdown yet again until May 17th.

As of May 1st 2020, Tamil Nadu has:

• 12 Red Zone districts

• 24 Orange Zone districts

• 1 Green Zone district

Chennai being one of the twelve red zone districts.

Here is a link to what is allowed in a red zone district.

May 5: Kickoff to the #GivingTuesdayNow Campaign

Pudiyador is taking part in the #GivingTuesdayNow campaign. All funds raised will go directly towards supporting daily wage earning families in Chennai. Any donations made on May 5th until May 26th will play a key role in helping us unlock a portion of the pool of match funds! Bottomline: the more money we raise, the greater chances we have of getting a higher match.

All donations for this campaign must be made in USD through the following platform:

https://now.firespring.com/nonprofits/pudiyador-pace

May 10: Relief kits distributed in Injambakkam

Distributed relief packages to 35 families in need in Injambakkam community.

Relief packages contained: 5kg rice, 1kg toor dal, 1L oil, 1kg sugar, 1kg chickpeas, 1kg rava, 1kg wheat flour, 1kg salt

May 18: Pan-India lockdown extended to May 31st

Chennai remains a hotspot with the number of patients rapidly increasing. Despite, relaxed guidelines across the state of Tamil Nadu, Chennai remains in a red zone and will have to adhere to the strict lockdown measures introduced at the beginning of May.

Here is a link to the updated guidelines and restrictions for red zone districts during lockdown 4.0.

• TASMAC liquor outlets have reopened

• schools, colleges, places of worship, cinemas and theatres remain shut

• restrictions on weddings and funerals continue

May 20: Third round of relief kit distributions

Distributed relief packages to 352 families in need from 4 Pudiyador communities.

Relief packages contained: 7kg rice, 1kg toor dal, 1L oil, 1kg wheat flour, 1kg chickpeas, 500g green grams, 500g fried gram, 1 pack sanitary napkins

May 31: Lockdown extended until June 30th

Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister extended the lockdown on Sunday (May 31st) until the end of June. Significant relaxation of rules has been seen across TN except for major hotspots including Chennai. Chennai remains in a COVID containment zone.

Tamil Nadu plans to reopen in phases. Curfew from 9PM to 5AM remains in effect.

More information on the rules and restrictions can be found here.

June 7: Update from Feed Chennai

Feed Chennai has almost doubled the number of meals served, from 38,700 on May 10th to 70,080 meals as of May 31st.

Feed Chennai is one of four NGOs that has been selected by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to partner in distributing relief kits across the city.

Additionally, Feed Chennai has collaborated with Chennai Migrant Taskforce and is planning to support unemployed migrant workers with essential groceries in the month of June.

Donations can be made on Feed Chennai's GoFundMe page or through Milaap! Please help us in spreading the word.

June 19: Lockdown in Chennai confirmed until the end of the month

June 15th: Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister confirmed that the lockdown in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Chengalpet & Kanchipuram districts will be reimposed as of Friday June 19th.

The southern state of Tamil Nadu has recorded just over 44,000 cases out of a nationwide total of 332,424, according to official figures.

• only essential services and travel for medical emergencies will be permitted

• grocery shops, veggie shops, petrol bunks and mobile markets can function between 6am and 2pm

• Amma unavagams and community kitchens will be open

The complete list of the most updated restrictions and regulations can be found here.

Recap : What is happening on the ground in Chennai?

Since June, Pudiyador families (consisting primarily of daily wage earners) have resumed work. Regardless of Chennai being a red zone, lockdown regulations were relaxed allowing for many individuals to resume work, despite the high risk to their health, and gain an income.

Pudiyador has not been providing immediate relief (food rations) to our communities since the beginning of the month. In the meanwhile, we have initiated mask distributions within our communities. The Feed Chennai Initiative continues to operate independently.

As lockdown is being strictly reimposed as of June 19th, Pudiyador recognises that a need for food rations may resurface in the coming weeks.

June 29: Chennai lockdown extended until July 31

Strict lockdown in Chennai will remain until July 5th, followed by loosened rules and restrictions within Tamil Nadu (TN) until the end of July. The state has declared that TN remain on 'general lockdown' until July 31st.

Cases continue to rise rapidly within the city. Find stats here.

More information on the rules and restrictions of this extended general lockdown can be found here.

August 5th: Chennai lockdown extended until end of the month

The Tamil Nadu Government has extended a state wide lockdown until the end of the month (August 31).

Total lockdown is practiced on Sundays, with limited movement and shop hours during the week.

Find more information about rules and regulations here.

Cases continue to rise within the city. Find stats here.

August 11: Fourth round of relief kit distributions

Distributed relief packages to 198 families from four Pudiyador communities.

Relief packages contained: 7kg rice, 1kg toor dal, 1L oil, 1kg wheat flour, 500g chickpeas, 500g green grams, 500g fried gram, 2 dozen eggs, 1 pack of sanitary napkins

August 26: Weekly Snack Distributions #1

In addition to relief food rations, Pudiyador is now distributing snacks on a weekly basis to all youth attending our after-school programs in our four communities of operations.

Total number of snacks distributed:168

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #1 snack kits included: guavas, honey amla, peanut burfi, dried fruits, channa and health mix.

August 31: Weekly Snack Distributions #2

Total number of snacks distributed: 173

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #2 snack kits included: dates, honey amla, peanut burfi, dried fruits, channa and health mix.

September 7: Weekly Snack Distributions #3

Total number of snacks distributed: 173

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #3 snack kits included: dates, honey amla, peanut burfi, dried fruits, channa and health mix.

September 14: Weekly Snack Distribution #4

Total number of snacks distributed: 159

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #4 snack kits included: dates, honey amla, peanut burfi, dried fruits, channa and badam mix.

September 21: Weekly Snack Distributions #5

Total number of snacks distributed: 169

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #5 snack kits included: dates, honey amla, peanut burfi, dried fruits, channa and badam mix.

September 28: Weekly Snack Distributions #6

Total number of snacks distributed: 174

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #6 snack kits included: dates, honey amla, peanut burfi, dried fruits, channa and health mix.

October 5: Weekly Snack Distributions #7

Total number of snacks distributed: 177

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #7 snack kits included: dates, honey amla, peanut burfi, dried fruits, channa and health mix.

October 12: Weekly Snack Distributions #8

Total number of snacks distributed: 165

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #8 snack kits included: dates, honey amla, peanut burfi, dried fruits, channa and health mix.

November 9: Weekly Snack Distributions #12

Total number of snacks distributed: 173

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #12 snack kits included: dates, peanuts, peanut burfi, dried fruits, channa and badam drink mix.

November 16: Weekly Snack Distributions #13

Total number of snacks distributed: 150

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #13 snack kits included: dates, peanuts, peanut burfi, dried fruits, channa and badam drink mix.

November 30: Weekly Snack Distributions #15

Total number of snacks distributed: 157

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #15 snack kits included: dates, karamani, peanut burfi, dried fruits, honey amla and badam drink mix.

December 7: Weekly Snack Distributions #16

Total number of snacks distributed: 159

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #16 snack kits included: dates, karamani, peanut burfi, dried fruits, honey amla and badam drink mix.

December 14: Weekly Snack Distributions #17

Total number of snacks distributed: 162

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #17 snack kits included: dates, karamani, peanut burfi, dried fruits, honey amla and badam drink mix.

December 21: Weekly Snack Distributions #18

Total number of snacks distributed: 143

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #18 snack kits included: dates, dry green peas, peanut burfi, dried fruits, honey amla and badam drink mix.

December 28: Weekly Snack Distributions #19

Total number of snacks distributed: 157

Snack kits are designed to provide a variety of nutritious snacks to one child for one week. Each kit has six different snack items (one for each day of the week) that are prepared and packed, ready to eat.

Week #19 snack kits included: dates, dru green peas, peanut burfi, dried fruits, honey amla and badam drink mix.

Cradle Health Nutrition Kit

We have distributed 343 cradle kits to new/expectant mothers and their infants in the last quarter of 2020.