This project will provide life-saving emergency oxygen to COVID patients and emergency food parcels to hungry families whose incomes have been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Tiljala SHED's target communities comprise around 5000 families who depend on a daily wage in order to eat. These marginalised communities living in shelters on pavements, beside railway tracks and open sewers are always at the back of the line - a forgotten people. Tiljala SHED puts them first.
Kolkata's most marginalised families rely on daily wages to eat. They live in illegal shelters with no running water. They are illiterate, vaccine hesitant and can't easily maintain social distance. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown they have been unable to earn enough to feed their families and they cannot afford healthcare. TB, diabetes, hypertension and other chronic illnesses are prevalent. They are hungry, at risk and have no voice.
Through education, information, promoting vaccine uptake and COVID testing Tiljala SHED aims to prevent the spread of COVID in our target communities. We distribute food parcels, nutritional supplements, hygiene packs and medication to enable families to stay at home and stay healthy. When someone falls sick our staff monitor the patient and supply oxygen when appropriate. We work hard to find hospital beds when needed.
By educating the community about how to keep themselves safe from COVID-19, we aim to minimise the impact of the disease. Provision of food rations enables breadwinners to stay at home and not contribute to the transmission of the virus. Our staff support any who fall sick to ensure best possible outcomes. In this way we can mitigate the worst effects of this terrible virus on India's most vulnerable people and ensure that they maintain healthy habits for the future.
