Lifeline for those who are left behind

Spokesman-volunteer Karan Parvesh Singh

There are thousands of women who have lost their husbands to the pandemic. These men were the sole earning members of the family. Now, a fledgling pan-India outfit is organising and galvanising itself to help women who have been left behind, get a job and become financially independent.

The initiative is called COVIDWidows and is entirely volunteer-driven. Spokesman-volunteer Karan Parvesh Singh said, "The government has to address macro factors like oxygen, enough beds for patients, yet there are micro factors within the pandemic. The mental trauma of losing a spouse, added to the fear and the very real prospect of not having a regular income for the future is a reality that has affected so many women. Some of these women may have had careers earlier, but stopped working after marriage. They may now have to re-enter the workforce," said the Delhi-based volunteer.

Just 10 days old, COVIDWidows said already more than 760 women have reached out to them after seeing the initiative on social media. "We have so many volunteers too," said the team, which is working virtually, from out of their homes.

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"This is a work in progress. Volunteers will be divided into teams, each of which will have a leader. According to their skill set, they will be doing career and grief counselling. There will be another team that will train women for referrals and interviews. Yet another group will engage with the women with reference to resume writing. In short, they will act as the guiding lights to the path of getting employment."

Yudhvir Mor, volunteer and one of the founders of COVIDWidows

Yudhvir Mor, volunteer and one of the founders, said, "The idea was definitely a collective community effort. Since the pandemic flared, we witnessed a lot of women suffering, alone or with dependent families. Our sisters, someone's daughter, friends' wives, they all have suffered the loss of their spouse. We have a core team of six volunteers, which includes me, driving this effort."

Mor said, "In these very early days, women from across the spectrum are approaching us, from those who have worked before, to others who have had no work experience. Our volunteers, many of whom are in decision-making roles in their respective fields, are in a position to help those who are actually in need of opportunities in these testing times."

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The founder-volunteer said, "The volunteers are doing a wonderful job in profiling all the received applications. Some deserving candidates, who did not know how or where to make a beginning, are just starting to see some light at the end of this outbreak-induced situation."

When asked about how difficult it is to find jobs for people in a very challenging time, Mor, who is in Noida, said, "As such the job market is bleak and in such a condition focusing on employment for women requires solid commitment. This is what our volunteers have promised us." Team COVIDWidows finished on an upbeat, "Mission difficult, but not impossible."

Website: https://www.covidwidows.in/