Some of our centres continued Covid-19 pandemic relief work. Details of their work are given below:
Visakhapatnam centre distributed 4050 kg rice, 10 kg rice flakes (chira), 200 kg flour, 100 kg semolina (suji), 122 kg pulses, 602 kg soya chunks, 1200 kg dark brown peas, 1000 kg brinjals, 50 kg beans, 50 kg groundnuts, 2400 kg onions, 2 kg garlic, 20 kg assorted spices, 101 kg tamarind, 130 litres cooking oil, 300 kg pickles, 120 kg sugar, 61 kg tea powder and 6 ceiling fans among 1425 tribal families and two old-age homes in Visakhapatnam on 17 and 18 July.
Rajkot centre held an online symposium on “How to obtain peace of mind during Covid-19 pandemic?” from 1 to 7 July.
Jamtara centre distributed 483 kg pulses, 1288 kg potatoes, 129 kg soya chunks, 64 kg assorted spices, 322 litres cooking oil, 644 bars of soap and 322 kg detergent powder among 322 families in Jamtara district from 7 June to 9 July.
Koyilandy centre distributed 3232 notebooks, 1212 pens and 404 geometry boxes among 404 students of six primary schools in Koyilandy on 2, 5 and 6 July.
Mumbai centre is running (i) a free Covid-testing facility where 75 patients are tested daily on an average, and (ii) a free vaccination centre in which 3579 doses were administered between 29 June and 28 July.
Chennai Math and Chennai Students’ Home jointly distributed, from 22 June to 29 July, 1900 Covid-care kits (each kit containing a pulse oximeter, a vaporizer, a digital thermometer, face masks, a bottle of hand sanitizer, a bar of soap, packets of immunity booster mixtures and tablets) to Covid patients quarantined at their homes.
Chennai Students’ Home distributed 10,000 kg rice, 2000 kg flour, 750 kg semolina, 5000 kg pulses, 750 kg fried gram, 500 kg tamarind, 2250 kg assorted spices, 1750 kg salt, 2000 litres cooking oil, 2500 kg sugar, 750 bars of bathing soap, 750 bars of washing soap, 750 tubes of toothpaste and immunity boosters among 2750 families, which included daily wagers and private school teachers, in various districts of Tamil Nadu from 22 June to 29 July.
Ootacamund centre distributed 250 kg health mix powder, 12,000 packets of biscuits and 250 kg milk powder among 1000 poor families in Nilgiris district from 27 June to 26 July.
Thanjavur Math (a sub-centre of Chennai Math) distributed 1750 kg rice, 350 kg flour, 350 kg semolina, 375 kg pulses, 175 kg tamarind, 350 kg salt, 391 kg assorted spices, 175 litres of cooking oil, 350 packets of asafoetida, 175 kg jaggery, 35 kg coffee powder, 320 kg vermicelli and 340 blankets among 345 physically challenged children and adults in Tamil Nadu on 10 and 12 July. Also, the centre provided merchantable goods to a distressed lady on 23 July to help her earn a livelihood.
Varanasi Home of Service is running a vaccination centre where 1908 persons received vaccination during the period from 28 June to 24 July.
Malda centre distributed 450 kg rice, 45 kg pulses, 45 kg soya chunks, 36 litres of cooking oil, 90 kg salt, 90 bars of soap and 270 face masks among 90 families in Malda district on 30 June. The centre also held a vaccination camp where a total of 227 persons received vaccination doses on 9 April.
RKMVERI, Belur, in cooperation with Narendrapur centre and other organizations conducted a Covid vaccination drive in which 837 people received vaccination doses from 22 to 25 June.
Saradapitha, Belur, distributed 2828 kg rice, 712 kg pulses, 1424 kg potatoes, 712 kg onions, 356 litres cooking oil, 1055 kg assorted spices, 351 kg salt, 702 packets of biscuits, 1404 bars of soap, 3500 face masks, 702 bottles of hand sanitizer, 702 saris and 702 lungis among 712 families in Hooghly and Howrah districts from 7 to 12 July.
Bagerhat centre served cooked food and distributed 360 kg rice, 72 kg pulses, 72 kg potatoes, 36 litres cooking oil and 36 kg salt to 72 families in Bagerhat on 9 and 10 July.
Chandpur centre distributed 1000 kg rice, 200 kg pulses, 400 kg potatoes, 200 kg salt and 100 litres of cooking oil among 200 families of Chandpur Sadar in July.
Dinajpur centre distributed 250 kg rice, 50 kg pulses, 250 kg potatoes, 25 litres cooking oil, 50 kg salt, 50 bars of soap and masks among 50 families in Dinajpur district on 9 July.
Fiji centre distributed 9000 kg rice, 4500 kg flour, 1800 kg split peas, 675 litres cooking oil, 900 kg salt, 90 kg tea leaves, 405 kg milk powder, 450 assorted seeds packets, 4000 face masks, 6 walkers, 54 dual crutches, 1 hospital bed with mattresses, 2 wheelchairs, 13 sewing machines, 7 first-aid boxes, 50 baby quilts, 39 bedsheets and pillow covers, 670 T-shirts, shorts & skirts, 135 sanitary pads, 250 pairs of socks and 70 pairs of footwear among 900 families in and around Nadi in July.
Durban centre, along with its sub-centres, distributed 344 kg rice, 187 kg cake flour, 102 kg samp, 238 kg maize meal, 168 kg pulses, 12 kg soya chunks, 434 litres cooking oil, 170 kg salt, 7 kg assorted spices, 132 kg sugar beans, 223 kg porridge, 54 kg macaroni, 11,600 tea bags, 6 litres milk, 287 kg sugar, 102 cans of jam, 182 canned beans, 6 litres juice, 60 bottles of peanut butter, 222 packets of soup, 213 bars of washing soap, 273 bars of bathing soap, 444 matchboxes and 1250 litres drinking water among 283 families in various parts of South Africa in July.
Colombo centre distributed 4225 kg rice, 3360 kg flour, 895 kg pulses, 5 kg chick peas, 167 packets of soya chunks, 160 kg potatoes, 155 kg onions, 9 kg garlic, 415 kg salt, 15 kg assorted spices, 500 coconuts, 163 kg noodles, 10 packets of biscuits, 106 kg nutritious malt mix, 44 kg milk powder, 68 kg tea powder, 1190 kg sugar, 99 packets of detergent, 1291 bars of soap and 50 tubes of toothpaste among 932 families in nine locations in July.
The extremely severe cyclone Yaas made its landfall over the Odisha coast on 26 May near Balasore and left a trail of destruction in many parts of Odisha and West Bengal. The cyclone rendered thousands of people homeless and caused inundation in several areas. In response to the disaster, several branches of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission immediately started relief work. Details of the relief operations carried out are as follows:
Belgharia centre distributed 900 kg pulses, 450 kg soya chunks, 1800 kg onions, 900 litres cooking oil, 900 kg salt, 200 kg assorted spices, 900 kg sugar, 900 packets of biscuits, 1800 bars of soap, 78 kg detergent powder, 1300 saris, 1300 lungis and 400 solar lanterns among 1300 affected families in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Howrah districts from 5 to 18 July.
Manasadwip centre distributed 940 kg rice, 960 kg pulses, 59 kg soya chunks, 610 kg potatoes, 430 litres of cooking oil, 390 kg salt, 59 kg assorted spices, 30 kg puffed rice (muri), 296 packets of biscuits, 350 bars of soap, 1490 saris, 1490 lungis, 1490 towels and 471 tarpaulins in Sagar Islands from 30 June to 10 July.
West Bengal: Incessant rains lashed some parts of Paschim Medinipur district in June causing inundation. Garbeta centre served 1200 kg rice, 1200 kg pulses, 210 kg soya chunks, 600 litres cooking oil, 600 kg salt, 180 kg assorted spices, 600 kg sugar, 120 kg tea leaves, 120 kg milk powder, 300 kg detergent powder, 1200 bars of soap and 200 tarpaulins among 800 affected families in 16 villages of Garbeta I and II blocks of Paschim Medinipur district from 29 June to 4 July.
Jalpaiguri centre distributed 75 saris on 19 July.
Vrindaban centre distributed 500 kg rice, 500 kg flour, 100 kg pulses, 100 litres cooking oil, 10 kg turmeric powder, 50 kg sugar, 20 kg milk powder, 10 kg tea leaves, 100 bars of bathing soap and 100 bars of washing soap on 31 May.
Several parts of the country witnessed large-scale arson and looting in July. Our centres in South Africa conducted the following relief operations to bring succour to people who were already reeling from the Covid pandemic.
Durban centre, along with its sub-centres, distributed 190 kg rice, 102 kg samp, 147 kg maize meal, 147 kg cake flour, 111 kg pulses, 69 kg sugar beans, 50 kg porridge, 54 kg macaroni, 196 canned beans, 132 baked beans, 132 canned sugar beans, 49 litres cooking oil, 50 kg salt, 200 loaves of bread, 84 boxes of noodles, 17 packets of soup, 44 cans of jam, 4450 tea bags, 84 kg sugar, 133 litres milk, assorted fruits and vegetables, 213 bars of washing soap, 56 bars of bathing soap and 44 tubes of toothpaste among 250 affected families in South Africa in July. The centre also served meals to 3720 people and distributed clothes, blankets and other necessities among 182 people in July.
Phoenix centre, along with its Johannesburg sub-centre, distributed 3370 kg rice, 1105 kg maize meal, 376 kg fortified cereals, 3300 kg pulses, 7217 kg assorted vegetables, 200 kg assorted spices, 950 kg salt, 1478 litres cooking oil, 1196 cans of tinned food, 200 loaves of bread, 6468 breakfast cereal sachets, 150 breakfast cakes, 36 packets of snacks, 150 kg noodles, 85 kg soup powder, 52,000 tea bags, 654 litres milk, 1260 kg sugar, 900 matchboxes, 450 tubes of toothpaste, 900 bars of soap, 504 adult napkins and 1750 litres detergent in July. The centre also provided a litre of milk and a loaf of bread each to 14 families thrice a week, and LP gas cylinders to 13 families. Further, the centre distributed 2 wheelchairs and provided medical care to patients.
As a part of the Cyclone Bulbul rehabilitation project conducted between 19 December 2019 and 25 July 2021, Belgharia centre constructed 18 two-room houses, 1 building for coaching centre and 38 washrooms in the Sundarbans area of South 24 Parganas district, and provided building materials for the construction of four houses there.
As a part of the Cyclone Amphan rehabilitation project, Manasadwip centre provided 40 bags of cement, 62 iron bars, 10 kg binding wire, 1000 bricks, 140 cubic feet of stone, 240 cubic feet of red sand and 100 cubic feet of white sand to a poor person in Manasadwip of South 24 Parganas district on 28 June to reconstruct his house.