Background
The onset of COVID-19 in early 2020 created a public health, economic and social crisis across rural India. Lockdowns disrupted livelihoods and triggered large-scale migration. Vulnerable communities faced hunger, uncertainty and limited access to services.
Civil society organisations mobilised rapidly to provide immediate relief. Given its longstanding partnerships in the water sector, Arghyam adopted a supportive role to strengthen the efforts of organisations working on the ground.
The objective was to respond quickly while ensuring that relief efforts were coordinated and informed by credible information.
SOLUTION
Our Approach
Arghyam extended grants and donations to 10 partner organisations working across more than nine states. Together, these efforts supported over 200,000 people directly through food, essential supplies and local coordination.
In parallel, Arghyam curated a digital content bank with over 900 pieces of verified information in 33 languages hosted on India Water Portal. This reduced duplication of effort for civil society actors who needed accurate and localised information.
A mental health session conducted with experts from ECHO India and NIMHANS benefited over 250 participants from civil society organisations.
Partners shared that timely financial support allowed them to scale operations during peak distress. They also noted that access to curated content reduced misinformation in rural communities.
Through a combination of grants, knowledge curation and coordination, the initiative strengthened civil society response during an unprecedented crisis.
