Volunteers Defending the Community Against COVID-19 Pandemic

The Volunteers of Dera Sacha Sauda continue their fight against COVID-19 Pandemic to safeguard the community in these difficult times. They contribute to the cause by organizing voluntary blood donation as well as distributing food and essential supplies not only to the front-line corona warriors but also to the masses. Nearly every blood donation in the major government and private hospitals is being undertaken by the volunteers of Dera Sacha Sauda across North India. May 8, 2020 saw the largest blood donation in these times with a total of 7980 units of blood donated in major states in The North of India. Apart from distributing groceries, masks, and other essential supplies in the hotspot areas, these volunteers also help with sanitization of these areas as per the guidelines put forward by the government. It is the intuitive teachings of the revered Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan that are motivating lakhs of people to come forward to serve even in these difficult times, some even risking their own lives.

Thousands of Families Have Received Groceries and Essential Supplies

The volunteers of the Dera are doing door-to-door rounds in almost every city, particularly in their local areas and distributing essential supplies to hundreds of needy families. The organization has a well-networked system of volunteers who recognize and are familiar with the local population, especially the ones at the bottom of the pyramid. Such people who have got affected by the lockdown and not able to financially support their families, are being identified and contacted by the volunteers in their respective neighborhoods. Along with a month-long supply of groceries, other essential items such as detergents, masks, and hand sanitizers are also provided to these families by the volunteers of Dera Sacha Sauda, making sure everyone is safeguarded against the virus and the omnipresent hunger and starvation too. The invisible coronavirus may eventually strike, but the visible enemy called hunger is ever-present and can hit anyone under the sky. With no roof above their heads and nobody to care for, lakhs of migrant laborers and daily wagers working in unorganized sectors, are affected the most due to the lockdown. They suffer the double brunt of losing their livelihood as well as lives due to hunger, more than the virus, during the lockdown imposed by the government. In such a scenario, all these people now want is to return home, to their villages in their native states, some way or the other. The same cities that were providing them two square meals are now their worst enemy; leaving them without earnings, food, or means to flee to their hometowns. They are desperate enough to hit the roads on foot, in many cases barefoot. The grim visuals of families with their belongings and in many cases, with small kids and pregnant women, walking miles together, for days, some even on an empty stomach, makes the viewers cringe. The government is doing what it can, but given the sheer number of migrant workers, this aid is not enough and is doing little to improve the situation. With the announcement of Lockdown-3 Govt. did introduce trains and is providing food supplies too, but as usual, it is not sufficient for all. The Dera Volunteers are trying their best to pitch in with food and groceries and easing out their pain in other possible ways. Following the teachings of Guru Ji Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, volunteers of Shah Satnam Ji Green S Welfare Force Wing, disaster management wing of Dera Sacha Sauda are distributing masks to migrant labor and other street vendors on the roads living in vulnerable conditions.

Here is a Roundup of Grocery and Masks Distribution By DSS Volunteers

Haryana - 1,077,026 people provided with groceries and 7900 masks distributed. Punjab - 88,861 people received and 1036 masks distributed. Delhi - 6,17,936 people given groceries. Rajasthan - 72,736 people received groceries and 4275 masks distributed. For UP and Uttarakhand the number of people receiving groceries was 6306 and 2649 respectively.

Dera Volunteers Assisting in Sanitizing Cities and Villages

The volunteers are also helping in sanitizing hotspots identified by the government as per the instructions from authorities in every block and district to reduce the possibility of people contracting this deadly COVID-19 pandemic. For all their support, the Dera volunteers have received tremendous support and appreciation from the authorities. Their passion for service and availability for welfare work 24×7 often makes them the favored lot for welfare work amongst the NGOs. In fact, the very philosophy of the establishment of the Shah Satnam Ji Welfare Force wing, a disaster management wing of Dera Sacha Sauda, was to be able to come to the aid of the people of this Nation in a disaster or humanitarian crisis situation. With the foresight of Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, 70,000 volunteers from across the country, trained to fight every disaster be it fire, earthquake, tsunami, floods, drought, and other humanitarian crisis, are a part of this unique disaster management force.

Creating Awareness About Prevention from COVID-19 Pandemic

In this "Corona crisis, as this COVID-19 pandemic is casually called, volunteers are spreading awareness about prevention from infection using masks, the importance of physical distancing, and cleaning hands using soap or sanitizers. Physical or social distancing may be common parlance in urban areas now, but people in remote and rural areas, where the virus is yet to make a big entry, are unaware of this term. The volunteers are conducting awareness drives in rural and semi-rural areas in the local language. Dera Volunteers have always had a 360-degree approach to solve a problem and hence also most every aspect of the COVID 19 crisis has been touched and addressed by these volunteers. In fact, Guru Ji too, as part of his letter to Guru Maa (his mother), has addressed prevention from infection and boosting host immunity with Pranayam, meditation, and Ayurveda.

Here is a glimpse

"Boosting (host) immunity is considered to be a major factor in fighting against Coronavirus. For this, you can practice pranayama every morning and evening and consume more vitamin C and protein-rich foods. An Ayurvedic decoction consisting of 4 Tulsi leaves, 4 Neem leaves, 5 gm Jeera, a pinch of Haldi, a pinch of Mulethi, a pinch of Ajwain, a pinch of saunth, 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 10 gm Giloy leaves can work wonders for your body too. So follow these as a new way of living in this time of Corona.