An overnight announcement of nationwide lockdown caused panic and chaos all over our country. Responding to the need of the time, we, Sisters at Bilaspur, rose to action as the pandemic lockdown situation let down the poor and the vulnerable people around us. We saw the plight of many cycle rickshaw pullers who used to earn very little after a whole days work, now find that their livelihood has disappeared. Most of them are those who spend their nights on footpaths or in front of shops, as they have no home of their own. Government schemes and benefits do not reach them as they do not hold any personal documents required to produce to benefit the schemes. The situation is so critical as of now, for these poor people.
We arranged some of our school staff to find out the locations of such needy persons. We asked them to come to our Convent to receive some grain, cereal, vegetables and detergents. Many poor men came to receive what we packed. It would be sufficient for them to cook food for a week for their families.
We also reached out to Mother Theresa’s Old Age home inmates. They are 98 of them, taken care of by the Sisters. A sudden announcement of the pandemic lockdown caught them unguarded. They ran short of food and daily requirements for the inmates and their existing staff. As the Sisters informed us of their difficulty, we reached out to them by supplying a few bags of grains, cereals, oil tins and pickles .
Sr.Helen and the staff of Hindi Medium School were involved, to distribute government given grains and cereals to all the students families. It gave great relief to all those families at this time of shortage of basic necessities.
It was a God given opportunity for us to bring hope to the hopeless by our timely action. We continue to keep our eyes and ears open to the needs of the poor as the pandemic lockdown continues to trouble the unfortunate and marginalized ones in many ways. Now, the government authorities are become aware of the poor and their needs. If our services are needed to bring solace to the needy, we will continue to reach out to them in “magis”.
Sr.Fabiyola
Nirmala Province
