Nevandra: COVID-19 emergency aid in India

Covid-19 is challenging all of us and pushing some of us to our limits. But we must not forget that it is the poorest of the poor who are hit hardest by the Corona crisis. This is happening in India too, for example.

Béatrice Kasser van der Meulen and Tjeerd van der Meulen founded the Nevandra Association in 2011, with the aim of offering local, long-term assistance, helping people to help themselves. The Association’s various projects mainly support Indian women and children, as they are confronted with many challenges every day (see www.nevandra.ch/unsereprojekte).

In April, the Association asked in a newsletter for donations, because both COVID-19 and the nationwide ‘lockdown’ had consequences that were causing much suffering and despair. In India, millions of people endure a daily struggle to survive. The Association is extremely concerned about the children from the ‘Education For You’ project, who live in slums with their single mothers or relatives. Since those who live in the slums are not allowed to leave them during the ‘lockdown’, and most of the jobs for day labourers have disappeared, there is no money for food. Nevandra is therefore organising the distribution of food packages locally as emergency aid, each with weekly rations for a family of four. The cost is CHF 15.00 per food package.

We have decided to support the Nevandra Association with a donation of CHF 3,000 for this emergency aid.

We are happy to tell you that 100% of donations go directly to India: all expenses in Switzerland and any trips to India are financed by the founders.