Dear Friends,

I hope that you, your family and loved ones are in good health and safe.

Covid-19 has brought unprecedented challenges to the entire world. The government has enacted a lockdown in the country to ensure people practice social distancing to curb the spread of the virus.

Seva Mandir has started to respond to this situation and we are implementing robust measures to protect our staff and the people and communities we work with. Seva Mandir has experience of more than 50 years of working with communities to transform and improve their lives - and that is no different now.

The first priority is to keep people safe. To do this, we have closed all of our offices and put our field work on hold. Even though our offices are closed, our staff continue to work undeterred from home. Our ground staff and village workers, including Shiksha Kendra teachers, Balsakhis and Balwadi sanchalikas, are making regular phone calls to families to ensure they are practicing proper hygiene methods and are aware of the latest Government advice and regulations.

Even with this, we are committed to complete and continue all our activities, and alternative plans are being prepared to meet our commitments to the communities we work with.

Thanks to your support, we have been able to give communities the knowledge they need to withstand such adversities. Your help has enabled tens of thousands of men, women and children learn proper hygiene practices that is protecting them right now. You have helped us regenerate ecosystems that are now providing food and other essential produce to families who rely on them to survive. You have helped to run a rural hospital to provide primary healthcare to remote communities who would otherwise have none. You have supported us in so many ways.

And now we need you more than ever.

We are providing essential food and hygiene packs to those most in need in rural and tribal communities. Summer crops will need to be sown soon, so we will need to quickly arrange support for agricultural inputs to ensure farmer's livelihoods. A lot of people who are daily or seasonal migrants to cities to find work, are returning to their villages. Support will be required to create livelihoods for them in own villages, on which we are consulting community leaders and will design a response as soon as possible.

You can be part of this effort whether it is by donating directly to Seva Mandir, by spreading the word of Seva Mandir to people you know, or just by sending us your messages of support.

We will be doing our best to keep you updated on the situation here and on the progress of our work.

Once again, thank you for your unwavering support. Please stay healthy and keep social distancing.

Best wishes,

Ronak Shah

Chief Executive

Seva Mandir