The Solidarity Project supporting communities during COVID-19
During the Diwali festival of 2020 the ‘Solidarity Project’ was completed, which was a five-month initiative to activate international support for communities in rural India struggling with coronavirus health and economic crises. It included the provision of essential food and sanitation items, personalised information relating to COVID-19 prevention and emotional support.
Drishtee Immersion is a part of Empathy Action Labs, an Australia-based non-profit organisation working to facilitate empathy through higher education programs, training workshops and immersion programs hosting university students in rural communities across five states of India and southern Japan. When it became clear that the pandemic would have a significant impact on partner communities, it was clear that action was needed. Co-founder Nathan Wiltshire explains:
“We’ve been working with several communities in India since 2015. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the team and I could not sit by idly while we knew of people suffering under harsh lockdown conditions. Most of the people we known in these communities have a limited or no financial safety net, so when something like this happens it can create severe stress, anxiety and destitution. At first, there were a few sleepless nights as we thought of ways to support our sisters, brothers, uncles and aunties”.
Sitaram Konde and Nathan Wiltshire in Sonoshi in 2019
Through a range of popular empathy training programs, Empathy Action Labs has a developed a large network of over 500 current and recently graduated students from University of Technology Sydney and others across Australia, with a significant proportion having visited rural India while participating in the ‘Drishtee Immersion’ program; being hosted in a community for three weeks of empathy training while contributing towards sustainable community-led projects in water, health, and livelihood. With several former participants contacting the Empathy Action Labs team it seemed like an ideal network to activate during the pandemic.
In recent years this work has focused in ‘tribal belt’ communities in Maharashtra, such as the village of Sonoshi, located in the Western Ghats Mountains about six hours from Mumbai.
Nathan Wiltshire said “when we heard reports of the first cases of COVID-19 in the community and subsequent imposition of the strictest lockdown measures, we set about activating our network of over 80 students who had been hosted in Sonoshi over the last three years. In many ways students become a part of the community. Host families often tell me it’s like welcoming long lost family members, due to their genuine curiosity, openness, and empathy. With these strong bonds it felt natural to do everything possible to provide support during tough times”.
Participant and recent International Relations graduate, Jamie Clark explains “in what has been a difficult year, it has never been so important to look out for one another. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to give back to Sonoshi through the Solidarity Project; one that encompassed the relentless spirit of humankind”.
Empathy Action Labs works to empower communities, which can be painstaking work ensuring community engagement at all levels for grassroots actions. When deciding on the nature of community support it was important to provide things that people actually needed. The local team spent weeks in discussion via Whatsapp with community leaders, elders, and a range of families. These efforts revealed a situation where families were surviving on meagre rations of rice that remained from the previous years’ harvest. While limited government provisions barely reached the remote community. Moreover, many people were anxious about the virus, with inconsistent official advice, and limited supply of sanitation products due to local shortages.
Nathan Wiltshire said “while we may not fully understand all the nuances of everything happening on the ground, we know people in Sonoshi well enough, through years of collaboration, to be motivated to take action. This reflects the notion of solidarity; a combination of general understanding that leads to positive actions. In essence, we hoped people would feel that their friends in Australia had their back during the crisis. That we would make it through the pandemic together”.
Participant and Nursing student Alice Perkes said “I hope these packages bring a smile to the people that were so welcoming to me when I visited Sonoshi in 2019. I want them to know I am thinking of them during this incredibly challenging time”.
In July and August the Solidarity Project began bringing together students, graduates, Maharashtrian expatriate and other supporters to purchase family care packages of essential items including cooking oil, protein rich pulses, and sanitary items. Also, to ease community anxiety the team developed a COVID-19 information sheet by amalgamating official materials into an easy to follow infographic with local language translation.
Nathan Wiltshire said “in the face of a misinformation, rumours can significantly increase negative impacts in communities, so we collated reliable government and World Health Organisation sources into a format that all community members could understand, including those who are illiterate.”
As a part of the project, contributors joined a unique two-day workshop teaching ideas relating to solidarity, empathy and community. This process led participants to create a personalised message of solidarity, to be translated and shared with the community. This sought to provide deeper context and articulate true intentions behind participant contributions, so that people in the community could understand the nature of their support network.
An example message of solidarity:
People the world over are facing the threat of corona virus. At the essential level all humans are the same. We breathe the same oxygen. We all experience joy, sadness and every emotion. We are fragments of each other.
In the years I have visited Sonoshi, the community has become a part of me. Who I am today is because you are my teacher. Every day in Sonoshi I learn something new, about you, about myself, to shape new ways that I see the world.
From Sitaram bhau, I learn the adivasi spirit. From Mandatai I learn a generosity that comes from resilience. From Dillip bhau, I learn humility in leadership. From Papabai, I learn that vitality comes from kindness. From everyone in Sonoshi, I am starting to understand what “community” means; to contribute to something greater than our self. Still, there is much more for me to learn.
As we together confront challenging times, I support my brothers, sisters, uncles and aunties in Sonoshi. As you have given so much to me, I am here for you, my dear teachers.
With funds raised the team began the process of procuring items for care packages to provide for over 200 families. With many items in short supply locally, the team sourced items in the nearest city, Nashik. This was the start of a logistical nightmare, as a series of barriers emerged, quite literally roadblocks. Empathy Action Labs Coordinator, Ms. Sneha Karpe explains:
“After the initial nationwide lockdown eased, there has been a focus on localised lockdowns. While this is important to contain the virus, it has caused significant delays to our work. There were a series of lockdowns between Nashik and Sonoshi, which is an hour’s drive away. Along with severe monsoon rains lasting weeks. It was frustrating as we had to wait for an opportunity to safely deliver the care packages”.
Eventually, in November with lockdowns removed and rains subsided, the team was able to fulfil the project. This coincided with the annual Diwali festival, providing a welcome boost after months of lockdown, limited diet, and economic hardships.
Sneha Karpe said “with the support of community leaders we distributed care packages while maintaining social distance, strict sanitation practices, and wearing masks when possible. There was a definite excitement and even joy as people collected a care package for their family; a palpable sense that their Australian friends were thinking of them in this time of need”.
While the Solidarity Project will not solve the ills of an ongoing pandemic, it is an important step in promoting empathy in a world that is increasingly divided.
Engineering & Creative Intelligence student Pratiksha Chuttar said “Sonoshi is a village that’s had a huge impact on the way I see the world. It’s provided me with the opportunity to understand the roots of my Indian heritage, those being community and dedication. When I’d heard the stories of how Sonoshi was affected by the consequences of COVID-19, I knew I needed to help. With the villagers’ livelihoods and wellbeing drastically dependent on socialising since working from home is not an option, I could understand the sheer impact of social distancing. So, I felt that providing care and words of encouragement was important”.
This article was written by Nathan Wiltshire and originally posted on the Drishtee Immersion blog here.