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India is continuing to fight the world's worst second wave of COVID-19 with record-breaking deaths daily. Although help is coming in many forms such as healthcare facilities, many more basic human needs are being overlooked. Former Devdasi women from Karnataka have suffered for years under the shackles of patriarchy and human exploitation; with the help of MASS, Mahila Abhivruddhi Matthu Samrakshana Samsthe, they received help for social and economic rehabilitation (Learn more @ https://www.massbelgaum.org/). Unfortunately, the second wave has hit all of their efforts. 4000 families run by these former Devdasi women are in desperate need of food kits to support their family members.
Who are former Devdasi women? Hailing from the age-old tradition of marrying young girls mainly from the Dalit community to a God before puberty, these girls are not expected to marry and participate in the socio-religious rituals of local communities. Once they were looked up to for their skills in music, arts, etc., but over time they were forced into inhumane conditions and exploited for belonging nowhere. MASS run by former Devdasi women has empowered these women, emancipated them from such practices from the shockingly young age of 14, and helped them to rehabilitate and start new lives in society (Learn more @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfEkTnYqbhM)
Who are former Devdasi women? Hailing from the age-old tradition of marrying young girls mainly from the Dalit community to a God before puberty, these girls are not expected to marry and participate in the socio-religious rituals of local communities. Once they were looked up to for their skills in music, arts, etc., but over time they were forced into inhumane conditions and exploited for belonging nowhere. MASS run by former Devdasi women has empowered these women, emancipated them from such practices from the shockingly young age of 14, and helped them to rehabilitate and start new lives in society (Learn more @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfEkTnYqbhM)
But the pandemic has left no one untouched. The little financial security attained by working as daily wage-laborers, agriculture laborers, etc., has stopped due to the lockdown leaving them with no means to support their families.
Reap Benefit has joined hands with MASS to support them in these tough times. We are raising Rs. 10,00,000 to support them with food kits.
One month of food supplies to support an entire family run by these former Devdasi women costs Rs. 1200/- (INR). This includes the procurement, packaging and transportation of these supplies to the family's doorstep, too.
As the fatal impact of the pandemic endangers all of us, some continue to fight for basic human needs. So "End the food wait, start now & donate"!
Your contribution matters; however big or small.
About Reap Benefit: We strive to be a platform that inspires and nurtures young people to build their civic muscle by engaging in local civic and environmental problem solving. Each of these young people, whom we call Solve Ninjas, use a combination of hyper-local data and technology to engage in campaigns and build solutions to solve issues in their local communities. In the last eight years, 50k + Solve Ninjas have been activated (around 80% of them continuing as citizen champions), 94k + civic actions have been taken and 552 civic innovations have been built to address local public issues across the country. Through our programme and through the experience of public problem solving we have seen highly valuable 21st century skill activation in these youngsters enabling them to be better ideators, collaborators and leaders practicing active citizenship.
One month of food supplies to support an entire family run by these former Devdasi women costs Rs. 1200/- (INR). This includes the procurement, packaging and transportation of these supplies to the family's doorstep, too.
As the fatal impact of the pandemic endangers all of us, some continue to fight for basic human needs. So "End the food wait, start now & donate"!
Your contribution matters; however big or small.
About Reap Benefit: We strive to be a platform that inspires and nurtures young people to build their civic muscle by engaging in local civic and environmental problem solving. Each of these young people, whom we call Solve Ninjas, use a combination of hyper-local data and technology to engage in campaigns and build solutions to solve issues in their local communities. In the last eight years, 50k + Solve Ninjas have been activated (around 80% of them continuing as citizen champions), 94k + civic actions have been taken and 552 civic innovations have been built to address local public issues across the country. Through our programme and through the experience of public problem solving we have seen highly valuable 21st century skill activation in these youngsters enabling them to be better ideators, collaborators and leaders practicing active citizenship.
