After completing more than five years as a non-governmental organisation, we at Mindroot are on a continuous lookout for how we can serve the people, fulfil our aims, and explore the dimensions of Mental Health Awareness. That’s when our Mobile Bus Clinic, Chopals, School Mental Health Programme, Marathon for Mental Health Awareness, The Mindroot Foundation Psychiatric Award, Bootcamp for Mental Health Awareness, Family Hike for Mental Health Awareness, and Sootmeel Nashamukti and Wellness Initiative, activities come in handy.
But the past year has been extremely tough for our country due to this pandemic. While some could enjoy time alone with their families, thousands felt desperate without daily bread and butter.
It was one of the most depressing times of this century. We felt deeply saddened by the impact of the last year on the poor and the lower-middle-class people. Millions lost their jobs, got homeless, suffered losses, and its impact was visible on every front-line worker and those who couldn’t do anything about it.
It was during times like these when they required some kind of help. That’s when we started this initiative, Help the Needy where we work on these three
1. Ration Kit Distribution
2. Financial Support
3. Mental Health Support via direct counselling and Tele-Mental Health Support.
We were hopeful when the first wave hit us that it would all be back to normal. But it lasted more than our expectations, and different variants were frequently observed after that. It was a continuous blowback to the already desperate ones. Many weren’t able to make their ends meet at that time.
We realised pretty soon that the country wanted to help the ones who were suffering. Everyone wanted to contribute, and it was all evident from the contributions different funds like PM Cares were getting. Still, things looked out of hand, and the magnitude of help our people needed wasn’t fulfilled. We required more initiatives.
That’s why we initiated Help the Needy, where we targeted the ones who needed desperate help. Our primary focus was Mental Health Awareness, and it was looking gloomy. The speed with which this tragedy was pervading was disastrous, and people were in immediate need of physical help.
So we raised this fund on GiveIndia which helped us to garner more than six lakh rupees. Not only that but many donated rations close to 20 quintals and different necessities. Many volunteers shared this on their social media page and with their friends. We also appealed to people on our platforms to help them in whatever way possible.
It was all overwhelming, and our volunteers ran out in different parts of Rajasthan to identify the ones in need. Groundwork people like Ashasahyogini, Our Field Workers, Teachers, and Community Leaders helped us make a tentative list of families which we could help. We segregated the needy ones based on Ration Cards, Aadhar Card, Death Certificate and Income Certificates and direct evaluation by our volunteers. Then we made a list of things that we would provide them.
It included 10kg atta, 1kg rice, 1kg sugar, 1kg salt, 1kg pulses, 250ml edible oil, spices, 2 soaps, 4 masks, and 500 Rs for the people in distress.
We conducted this in different phases in which various numbers of family members approached us. Apart from this, we also assembled a team of psychologists and psychiatrists to help people who had developed or spurred any mental health issues. We tried to spread the words related to this online and almost 23 people from different places all around the country approached us via Tele-Mental Health support.
By the end of this, we were able to help more than a thousand families, and we could provide them with 15 days of meals. We intended to help so much more, and we tried to showcase that through our efforts.
We hope we were of some help to them and the ones who required just a little bit of hope. The situations we have been through in the past year and so were heartbreaking. We hope nothing like this ever repeats, and if ever it does, we hope we will be able to help them again.
Indeed, all this wasn’t possible without the help of countless volunteers, local authorities, social media platforms and above all, people like you. People who intend to help others during times of need and desperation. People who don’t just sit and criticise but help others when they can in whatever way possible.
We appeal to all of you to remain empathetic. If you feel you can help us fulfil our goals of Mental Health Awareness & Fight Against Stigma and prevention from Substance Abuse, you can contact us and help in your own way. Every contribution in any manner matters. And if there is anyone out there around you who needs help, try to help them or let us know. Because together we can.