Poems to the rescue

The poems are curated by the Alipore Post, and are written in a free verse format. Kejriwal focused on keeping them brief and concise as well, to make sure they fit each card

Poetry can heal, is what Rohini Kejriwal, founder of art newsletter, the Alipore Post believes. "Poetry is a powerful medium of expression. It can help people work through the many emotions they might feel on a daily basis. There's a lot to be learnt from it," she says. It's with this intention that Kejriwal launched the Heal With Poems fundraiser, a collaboration with virtual archive the Compassion Contagion. Set at a goal of Rs 40 lakh, the fundraiser aims to generate money for six organisations working in different aspects of pandemic relief like mental health, medicine, rations, vaccinations and more. The initiative is a kit containing 10 postcards with poems curated by Kejriwal, accompanied by an artwork printed on each card with a poem. Launched last week, the kit is delivered to all those who donate Rs 1,500 and above.

"Artists have really been stepping up, in terms of using their voices and platforms to help create change during this time. What we wanted to do with this initiative was to create a set of postcards that have messages of compassion, solidarity and hope. I picked up the curation aspect, of pairing a poem with an artwork. We have 50 per cent of the proceeds from this fundraiser flowing into these organisations, and the rest will go to other selected NGOs. Whatever is raised would be directed towards causes. We have printed out a set of 10 postcards but these aren't empty ones that you can write on, the poem is the caption," explains Kejriwal.

The organisations, or ‘changeloomers' as the newsletter terms them, focus on vulnerable groups and communities across the country, working to support those who've lost incomes and livelihood over the past 17 months. "We have organisations like I Am Wellbeing that works in the field of mental health and GramUrja that does work for food sectors in rural areas. As for the poems, all of them are written in free verse. An aspect I kept in mind was brevity, to make sure it fits into the postcard," she adds.

The artwork part of the postcards is taken up by Compassion Contagion virtual archive, a repository of stories that document acts of compassion, founded by Delhi-based graphic designer Pooja Dhingra. "We've been doing fundraisers involving art for a while. Our entire project is based on using art and activism as a backdrop. The second wave was hard on everybody. I was in the habit of reading poems during this time. I reached out to Alipore Post after following them online and approached Kejriwal. She then curated this beautiful collection of poetry for all those who contribute to the campaign," reveals Dhingra.

For the duo, as the second wave of the virus peaked, the need to help out became urgent. "It was about meeting the immediate needs of people, like taking care of medical aid. The devastation that has been caused especially in the rural areas is terrible. Our fundraiser is not just about money, it's also about bringing dignity back into the lives of those afflicted and getting them back on their feet," concludes Dhingra.

Log on to: @thealiporepost or @compassioncontagion on Instagram