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From Bodhgaya in India, Raquel Mason, the Director of Akshy, reports on the present situation and Akshy´s future Plan of Action. :


Akshay Educational Centre, Amwan, Bodhgaya


India has entered the de-confinement phase with minor restrictions in spite of the rise in figures for infection, with almost 11,000 new cases every 24 hours.  We are worried but determined to study how we can adapt to the situation.  We began the month of June by programming and re-organizing our projects with a view to reaching complete “normality”.


COVID-19 – INDIA´S SITUATION 


 As of June 13th the number of people registered in India as infected by the Covid-19 virus was 309,603, but the number of tests carried out is low compared with the very large population of India of more than 1,300 million inhabitants.  The official number of recoveries is 154,000 and deaths  9,000.  Thousands of people who worked in other States have been returning to their hometowns.  Many of them became infected with the coronavirus while in the big cities and some did not observe the quarantine imposed by the Government.  This has caused a further increase in infection statistics.  Social distancing is not respected,  difficult in the majority of cases due to the high population density nor the use of face masks as advised by the Government.


FINALIZATION OF THE COVID-19 FOOD BANK CAMPAIGN -19

With the last distribution of food this week to 90 families in the village of Laxmipur, Akshy has completed its Covid-19 Food Bank Campaign which was started in the month of March. Our fund collection ended with the raffle held by “The Fairies” (Las Hadas), all profits going to Akshy.
Thanks to your contributions we were able to hand out food for almost one month to over 2,300 people.  We distributed it in 5 different villages.  After a  speedy organization, Akshy was able to stave off hunger especially in April, the first month,  when Government aid had not arrived.  The families who received food either had no income due to the pandemic or lived in hamlets so far away that this aid  didn´t even reach them.  Help also went to emigrants who returned home  from the large cities with no savings at all.


SITUATION IN BODHGAYA AND VILLAGES WHERE WE WORK


During the months of April and May, Bodhgaya became one of the Bihar quarantine centres.  The majority of hotels and guest houses were turned into quarantine centres for all the emigrants returning to their homesteads as there was no work or food for them in the cities.  2 million emigrants returned to the State of Bihar.  They had to spend 2 weeks in the quarantine centres before returning to their homes.  Controls not being very strict, many left the centres and so contributed to an increase in cases of infection.  The situation is alarming since, in spite of Government efforts, the health system is not  well equipped.  In Bihar for every 1,000 inhabitants there is barely 0.11 beds in Government hospitals.


Now with the start of de-confinement the villagers we help can start working again in the fields or in the construction sector as they did before but the emigrants will not find jobs as easily and unemployment  will increase.  Many families of our children had their fathers working in other States to bring home more money and now they are back means less income. .


Meeting of the AKSHY team in India – Raquel Mason (Director), Ranjan Kumar (Project Manager), Mala Devi (Social Worker and Coordinator of the Women´s Programme) and Guriya Devi (Women´s Project)

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PLAN OF ACTIO
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In spite of Covid-19, Akshy´s projects in the social area were not suspended and continued to go ahead.
Hygiene and Social Distancing measures have been taken in the Akshay Educational Centre for workers  as well as any person who comes from outside so our staff are protected.

In spite of Covid-19, Akshy´s projects in the social area were not suspended and continued to go ahead.
Hygiene and Social Distancing measures have been taken in the Akshay Educational Centre for workers  as well as any person who comes from outside so our staff are protected


Besides organizing the distribution of food, special attention was also given to our Social Programme and the needs of those requiring medical care and the repair of roofs after the frightful storm in Bodhgaya on May 6th.


Akshy will update its data bank with regard to the conditions of the most vulnerable families financially affected by Covid-19  in order to set up for them a Plan of Aid ​during the next few months until their domestic economies become more stable.  A study will be made of the families in the 4 villages in which we work.


Distance Learning – The Minister of Education has stated that schools may possibly not open again until August, so we will continue our Distance Learning system, providing our pupils with the information and  homework they need to study at home and so continue to make progress in all subjects.


There will be training and computer know-how courses for the teachers to help them in their work once the schools re-open.  There will also be workshops and other activities for the teachers on the Programme of Universal Values in Education.


There will be training and computer know-how courses for the teachers to help them in their work once the schools re-open.  There will also be workshops and other activities for the teachers on the Programme of Universal Values in Education.


We will also consider the final details of the jobs still remaining to be done in the new Kamal School in Jaitiya in hopes of completing them before the pupils return.

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