DAILY WAGE WORKER PLATFORM

Feedback and Key Points from the Day:

 

Today’s main point of consideration was adjusting to the practical differences of the new menu item at the Shri Ram Kitchen. Due to the lighter density of Pulao (versus a heavier, wet food like Khichdi), along with increased demand, packing the larger servings in our vehicles proved to be a new challenge to be solved for. We hope to keep providing a varied menu for our food recipients, and will take these practical learnings with us as we go.

 

​

Our Partners

 

425 Citizen Supporters | Democracy Now | IPAC | Swiggy | The Shri Ram School | Make My Trip Foundation | Caterman Cuisine Concepts Pvt. Ltd. | I Am Gurgaon | Compass Group India’s #LetsFeedTogether initiative | We Are The World Collective

​

​

Covid-19 Technology Platform for Community Network Plan

By Abhinandan Bannerjee

​

Covid-19 is a crisis which affects each and every one of us, but for the urban poor and particularly migrant daily wage workers, it means complete financial ruin, acute hunger and severe health hazards. Several government agencies, NGOs and public spirited individuals are undertaking various relief efforts for the welfare of these underprivileged sections of society. However they represent only a small percentage of the urban middle and upper class, while a large section thereof remains unaware and uninvolved in these efforts. With almost 140 million migrant daily wage workers bereft of food, healthcare and viable jobs, there has never been a greater need to ensure the participation of this large dormant section of the urban middle and upper class in relief efforts and rebuilding initiatives across the country.  

 

Ironically, the morbidity of the Covid-19 crisis also provides the perfect setting to involve entire communities in these relief efforts. This is particularly true in the case of middle class gated colonies and multi storied housing societies across the country, where thousands of residents are completely isolated and confined to their homes because of a nation-wide lockdown. Consequently, the ‘Residents Welfare Association’ or ‘RWA’, an entity hitherto ignored by a majority of these residents, has now assumed paramount significance. The RWA(s) have now emerged as the de-facto nodal body for communicating between the residents and local authorities, enforcing social distancing guidelines and ensuring a continuous supply of essential goods and services to the residents. As a result, all residents, including those who have earlier been completely uninterested in RWA initiatives, are now keen to become a part of the RWA network in their own self-interest. This creates the possibility of establishing a comprehensive community wide network under the aegis of these RWA(s), which includes each and every resident of a gated colony or housing complex.

 

To establish such a network, these RWA(s) must first set-up a digital communication platform which connects each and every residential unit in their respective colony or housing complex, without violating social distancing norms. It is imperative to keep this communication platform familiar and uncomplicated and use the infrastructure which is already in place. Most of these RWA(s) already have active WhatzApp groups for existing members and physical directories with contact numbers of all residents. Additionally, all that is now required is to set up the communication platform is ensure that at least one person from each and every family unit in the colony or society, without exception, is included in these RWA WhatzApp groups; along with the local MLA, Municipal Councillor and SHO of the local police station. In case of bigger colonies or societies, the communication platform may need to be set up at two tiers, with one group for each block or tower and a master group for the whole colony or society; with representatives from the different block/tower groups comprising the master group. The vital difference between this communication platform and any other similar pre-existing group is the inclusion and participation of each and every resident/residential unit of the colony or society.

 

Although this communication platform is primarily meant to address problems faced by the residents themselves, it has immense potential to become a tool for carrying out large scale relief operations. Once operational, this communication platform will serve as the best means of coordinating, consolidating and scaling up any relief operations which are taking place within a particular colony or housing complex. The RWA WhatzApp groups can easily post daily/weekly notifications about relief operations being organised within their colony or society. This will enable Independent and disconnected relief efforts being carried out within the same colony or complex to co-ordinate or consolidate their operations and have a greater impact.

 

Furthermore the communication platform will also provide an opportunity for crowd-funding large scale relief operations by allowing relief workers to reach out to thousands of residents with relative ease. For example, a mid-sized gated colony in Delhi houses anything between 15,000-20,000 residents. By a single message on this communication platform it is now possible to inform and request all these 15,000-20,000 residents to contribute a negligible amount towards any ongoing or proposed relief operations. Ideally, even a meagre contribution of INR 20/- from each resident on a weekly basis, will raise a massive amount of INR 3-6 lakhs every week. However, assuming even 25% of these 15,000-20,000 residents were to answer the call for donations, there is still potential to raise almost INR 75,000-2,00,000/- per week. These amounts can then be used to purchase dry ration, masks, sanitizers, soaps, medicines and other essentials which are inaccessible to millions of daily wage workers.  In the absence of such a communication platform and with ongoing social distancing guidelines, presently it is near impossible for any NGO or individual to approach so many residents for funds.  

 

However, there are practical problems which are likely to be faced while establishing this platform. While conducting an experimental run in a prominent gated colony in South Delhi, it was found that many residents were unwilling to share their contact numbers out of privacy concerns or sheer disinterest. Currently, the colony in question is operating with a similar structure of a two-tier communication platform, but on a much smaller scale. To their credit, they have successfully managed to carry out many relief operations through this mechanism as well, including setting up community kitchens and dry ration donation drives. However, since the current network involves barely 50% of the residents in the colony, the results are much lower in scale than what could have been achieved with the participation of the entire community. Such problems may need to be addressed by making requisite tweaks to cater to the unique peculiarities of a particular group or housing society.  

 

In conclusion, the above proposed communication network provides an unprecedented opportunity to involve entire communities in relief efforts. The need for community interdependence has never been higher, and establishing a viable means of communication is the first step in that direction.