Malyala Srinivas

Chairman’s Message

|t has been a year of unprecedented challenges and working against the odds. The pandemic took a heavy toll on life, livelihood, and health. COVID 19 posed a special health challenge to people because of their greater vulnerability. India's health system was already far from adequate. It faced further immense pressure because of COVID, with the situation being worse in cities and rural areas, where the quality of healthcare services is already poor. Inadequate healthcare has seriously affected the people. With an overwhelming proportion of them being from the lower socio-economic strata, they are unable to afford the cost of healthcare and slip into even poorer health. The vicious cycle of poor health and unaffordable health costs is further accelerated by their inability to earn a livelihood. The pandemic also brought a halt to the livelihood of many elders who had continued working in their old age to survive. Employed largely in the unorganized sector, they lost their jobs and income with the lockdown, followed by the economic downturn. Those who were unable to work themselves, were equally impacted, as the earning members in their families either lost their jobs or had to migrate as they had no means to sustain themselves. JRDS Skill Development program has provided indeed support to the women in the pandemic situation & Mental health concerns too became increasingly prevalent, with social isolation and loneliness on the rise, especially for the elderly. The lack of digital connectivity and digital literacy further aggravated the situation. The constant mutation of the virus has made it critical for an organization like Jagruthi Rural Development Society (JRDS) to ensure and promote a poor people-first approach, especially as most already suffered from pre-existing chronic health conditions. The pandemic further amplified the need for digital literacy, as it left poor people far behind in the race for an improved quality of life. JRDS digital literacy and community development(DLCD) for elders today have become vital for them to survive independently, especially during emergencies such as lockdowns, when they are unable to step out to access basic essential services such as groceries, banking, utility bill payments, etc. All our work throughout the year has been largely COVID-centric and we have utilized all arms of our services to ensure that our poor people receive help and succour in time. To ensure maximum outreach, we are increasing partnerships with the Government, none of the work we do on-ground would have been possible without the constant support of our primary pillars: our donors - whether individuals, institutions, or government bodies - who recognized the need on-ground and supported our relief. It takes a strong will and resilience to continue working against the odds, at one's own risk and I am extremely proud of the JRDS, particularly our workers on-ground - staff members who put their whole-hearted efforts to ensure that we reached the last mile in delivery of services. As our fight against the pandemic continues, our focus would be on skill development, education, health, agriculture, rural development, digital literacy, road safety, environment, women empowerment ensuring elder safety against the virus, good health, livelihood support, and advocacy for their rights, so that our elders can live with dignity. We look forward to working with all stakeholders such as Government (at Central and State levels), local bodies and authorities, corporates, individuals, international agencies, institutions, and society as a whole, in these difficult times. I thank my peers in the JRDS Governing Body and its committees, who have been actively involved in guiding, assisting, and helping the JRDS team throughout. The future is still uncertain, but we will tide over each challenge if we all come together, for it is time to move from recovery to rebuilding lives.

Malyala Srinivas,   

Chairman & General Secretary.