Overseeing COVID relief in remote destinations, Shabana Azmi urges people to come forward and help
Shabana Azmi
Not one to be held back by age, seniority, or the pandemic, Shabana Azmi, through her NGO, has been helping those reeling under the effects of the virus. Founded by the actor’s father, late Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi, Mijwan Welfare Society (MWS) was originally established to uplift rural India but has temporarily been remodelled to provide aid for the pandemic stricken.
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“Work is going on since last year. We have supplied dry food, hygiene kits, and masks to over 1,40,000 people,” says the actor, who has been quietly overseeing relief work in the remote corners of the country. The NGO has initiated a plan to provide one million masks, help community members to reach hospitals, and get treatment and daily rations to migrant works returning home after the second lockdown. “We have set up rozgar dhabhas in five states including Delhi, UP and Bihar to provide people with employment opportunities,” adds the actor, while accelerating the vaccination drive in small villages. In the face of resistance to registration, Azmi says she has come to realise that people are not yet convinced about taking the vaccine. “There are a lot of myths and fears about the vaccine. Mobilising communities is not easy. Information is empowerment and [its dissemination] is crucial. We are assisting people to register for inoculation by going door-to-door and sharing verified information. We have covered Azamgarh, Jaunpur and Balliya and aim to go to Ambedkar Nagar, Chandauli, Ghazipur, Buxar in Bihar, and more by end of the month.”
Urging people to come forward, Azmi says, “The need of the hour is to come together and act as one. Give till it hurts. If every family or company takes on the responsibility of their staff and their families, we can make a difference.”
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