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Disaster Preparedness and Support Programme

Overview

Ever since its inception, ESAF has always been at the forefront of disaster relief, mitigation, and rehabilitation programmes. This project is an initiative of ESAF Small Finance Bank. Last year, the disaster response activities mainly focused on pandemic relief operations.

The need to prepare for a world of unexpected shocks has now become clearer than ever. Epidemics, floods, storms, droughts and wildfires are all expected to become more frequent and severe in the coming years. PDS, with ESAF SFB, is working to improve its preparedness for disasters. This includes:

Awareness and distribution of IEC materials in local languages.

Training and equipping volunteers as first responders to a wide range of hazards.

Working with communities to understand the needs of those at risk.

Supporting hospitals and frontline workers.

Emergency relief support to the community.

Project Objectives

To provide relief support to disaster-affected populations.

To build the capacity of health workers and general public towards pandemic mitigation.

To improve the infrastructure of hospitals.

To train the volunteers and community in disaster management.

To train farmers for livelihood restoration and to support needy families with ration.

To provide adequate relief support to the vulnerable population for ensuring basic supplies and improving livelihood.

To provide support to the community for COVID-19 prevention and control.

To provide a Mobile Medical Van to improve reach and treatment efficiency in areas with limited access to healthcare services.

Activities

  • Supported needy families and frontline workers during the flood, cyclone and pandemic situations by providing food kits and necessary protective materials.
  • Supported students in attending online classes by providing mobile phones, tabs, and TVs
  • Supported health centres in Nadathara, Kizhakkanchery & Ollukkara Panchayaths by setting up well-equipped labs.
  • Conducted Gothra Suraksha Vaccination Campaign in Wayanad District.
  • Supported Primary Health Centre of Thiruvambady, Calicut district, in vaccinating the residents of Ponnamkayam and Anakampoyil tribal colonies.
  • Conducted a 21-day COVID vaccination camp at Jawahar Balabhavan, Thrissur.
  • Established a Frontline COVID Care Centre at ESAF Hospital, Kozhinjamapara.
  • Supported ESAF Hospital and Research Centre in setting up a COVID care ward
  • Supported Panchayaths of Chalakudy constituency by providing eight fogging machines.
  • Supported Jubilee Mission Hospital by providing a Ventilator.
  • Supported Amala Hospital by providing 10 motorized beds to Intensive Care Unit.
  • Supported CII Foundation in extending oxygen Manifold system at Government Women & Children Hospital Kottaparamba, Calicut.
  • Supported CII foundation to set up bedside lockers at COVID Care Centre at ADLUX Convention Centre.
  • Supported Kaithiri Farmers Club by providing tyres to their ambulance.
  • Donated Rs. 10,000 towards COVID Care Ward at Puducode Gram Panchayath.

Output

  • 50 students from needy families were able to attend online classes.
  • Increased the quality of healthcare at three Panchayaths
  • 34,000 tribal people were vaccinated in Wayanad district
  • 50 tribal people were vaccinated at Ponnamkayam and Anakkampoyil tribal colonies.
  • 9,279 people were vaccinated in the 21-day COVID-19 vaccination campaign held at Jawahar Balabhavan, Thrissur.
  • Established an 80-bedded COVID Care Ward at ESAF Hospital, Kozhinjampara.
  • Established a 14-bedded COVID Care Ward at ESAF Hospital and Research Centre, Tachampara.
  • 100 bedside lockers were provided to COVID Care Centre at ADLUX Convention Centre
  • Provided Infrastructure development support to community and public Institutions.
  • Carried out capacity building activities.
  • Provided protective gear to sanitation workers in Odisha.
  • Organised an Awareness programme on disaster resilience and management for 1,500 people in Majuli.
  • Provided support for emergency medical services and other material support for hospitals.
  • Supported frontline workers.
  • Distributed facemasks, sanitisers & PPE kits
  • Provided community-based treatment services through mobile medical vans.
  • Distributed relief kits to 14,846 frontline workers, farmers and families who were affected by COVID-19
  • Distributed school bags to 750 children whose families were affected by COVID-19
  • Distributed mosquito nets to 135 kids under three years.
  • Infrastructure improvement support was given to 7 families in Assam.
  • Distributed 50 thigh wader suits.
  • Trained 50 volunteers in disaster relief response.
  • First aid boxes were given to three villages of Majuli
  • Distributed IEC materials to 1,000 families.
  • Distributed 2 Ventilators, 1 portable X-ray and 15 Oxygen concentrators among 5 rural hospitals for emergency medical services and other materials to combat COVID-19.
  • Mobile clinic works are in progress

Impacts

Covid Care Wards established at ESAF hospitals in Kozhinjampara and Tachampara met the emergency medical needs of the Covid-infected rural population.

Provided ventilator support to the Jubilee mission hospital to aid people with vulnerable health conditions.

Emergency relief kits were distributed to the people who were affected by COVID-19, flood, storm and landslide in MH, MP, CHH, KL & AS.

Repaired houses of seven families in Assam that were affected by the rain and storm.

Received appreciation from Wayanad Collector Dr. Adeela Abdulla IAS for the Gothra Suraksha Tribal Vaccination Campaign held by ESAF along with the district administration

75% of the volunteers trained by PDS had participated in relief activities.

Provided medical equipment support to five rural hospitals to treat COVID- 19 patients.

Supported more than 50 people in Majuli during flood season with the support of boats and rescue materials.

The gadget in time saves her dream

The story of Gobika

Gobika is a 10th standard student from Dindigul, Tamilnadu. Her father is a daily wage labourer and her mother is a flower seller. She has a younger brother who is studying in the third standard. Gobika’s parents were the victims of job loss induced by the pandemic. As a result, the family struggled to make both ends meet. When her classes were shifted to online mode, Gobika had no clue on how to attend her regular classes. She didn’t have a phone or a laptop to aid her course. Knowing her parents’ plight, she was reluctant to seek support from them. Her dream of reaching great heights through education was badly dented. A good-hearted neighbour supported her in the initial days by lending her a mobile phone. To make up for the classes she missed, she used to approach a friend’s house to write notes. Despite the hardships, she was determined to move forward to realise her dream.

Around this time, ESAF Small Finance Bank, Dindigul, as part of its CSR project identified and supported a few economically backward families among the Sangams. Gobika was shortlisted as she was struggling to meet her education expenses. She was provided with a mobile phone to attend her online classes and prepare for her exams. The mobile phone provided by ESAF turned out to be a shot in the arm for Gobika to achieve good grades. “Thanks to ESAF for their generosity, I was able to score well in my exams,” said an ecstatic Gobika

The handcart saves the mother and her child

The story of Anamila Kuli

Anamila Kuli stays in Majuli Island, Assam. Her village is surrounded by the Subansri River and lacks proper transportation and healthcare facilities. When Anamila was pregnant, she had complications due to low BP and anaemia. Even though she was approaching her due date, she couldn’t go for regular checkups as there were no health centres nearby. Understanding her plight, Arogyamitras of PDS came to her aid with the support of a GNM nurse. When her health declined due to low BP, they immediately consulted a doctor and he asked them to take her to a health centre. But her family members were helpless due to lack of transportation facility. Suddenly, the hand cart bought by PDS, using ESAF’s CSR fund, came to her rescue. The PDS staff took her to the health centre which was 8 kms away from her house in that hand cart.

As soon as she reached the centre the baby was born. The Doctor emphasized the importance of reaching on time which saved the mother and the child. The entire community appreciated the work of PDS who helped them in a difficult situation.

The food kit that breathes life

The story of Ronju Kuli

Ronju Kuli is a young woman resident of Moloyachapori village in Majuli district, Assam. She is 32 years old and has three children. Her husband works in another district as a daily wage labourer. The lockdown deprived him of regular work and his family struggled to survive. To add salt to the wound, a small piece of land that they relied on for vegetable cultivation was fully destroyed in a landslide. Her poverty-stricken children became sick and malnourished. This became the plight of many families in the village. As soon as the PDS staff came to know about the situation, they responded by providing them food kits for two weeks. This was a great relief for Ronju Kuli and the villagers. She expressed her gratitude to PDS and its staff. After lockdown, her husband also came to meet the PDS staff and thanked them for their generosity.

A visual walkthrough of the project