Covid-19 pandemic has left a trails of disasters among families living in rural areas. They have lost their daily work opportunities and wages. Their life has been turned upside down. Practically speaking they are left to search for daily work and wages to support their family members. Covid-19 havoc followed by long period of lockdown has made small scale industries and business establishments standstill. There are layouts and closure of a number of establishments resulting with job losses for daily wage workers. They are in bad need of life support from possible avenues and sources. This Project and donation will support such families reeling in utter poverty and starvation because of the pandemic.
Here below we give the stories of some families affected from the pandemic and need basic support from the kind donors.
1. Jeeva
Name: Jeeva
Age: 39
Father's name: Chendur Pandi
Mother's name: Mrs. Lourdu
Village: Athikadu
Physical Condition: Stunted Growth

Jeeva is fondly called Chellam by her friends and neighbours. She not even remembers when she attended school like any other girls of her neighbourhood. She is now past 39 and looks just 10 years old. She has stunted growth that makes her looking smaller girl. This growth problem seems Genetic in her family. There was one elder sister to her who had also stunted growth like Jeeva but she passed away one year back. Her sister Muthu Petchi was a friend, companion and mother to Jeeva. Sudden death of her has made Jeeva lost interest in life. It was a sight to watch when both sisters went for their daily work in an Agri farm to pick drumsticks. They used to go for their daily work in the agricultural field full of drumstick trees in full makeup and flowers of any kind in their hair fastening their hair with colourful ribbons. With the passing away of her sister Muthu petchi, Jeeva becomes moody and keeps herself alone. Compounding this tragedy, sudden onset of covid-19 made her even more pitiable. Even to get meals for one time becomes difficult for her. Due to lockdown during the second wave of covid-19 almost all the families in the surrounding villages suffered of starvation and the fear of falling victim to covid-19.
Jeeva’s mother Lourdu is sick for a long period. She has a number of physical complications which made her confined in her home not able to go for any work. The father Chendur Pandi is the only breadwinner in the family. He is in an advanced age and physically very weak. His earning is hardly enough to feed the family. The onset of the pandemic and the total lockdown made Jeeva and her parents passing through a horrific time.

2. Sundar Singh
Name: Sundar Singh
Village: Mudalur
Age: 42
Condition: Differently Abled

Sundar Singh is a differently abled one. He lost his father three years back. He is mentally sick and had paralytic attack and his movement is severely restricted with feeble limbs. There are four children in this family and Sundar is the eldest. His mother is a daily wager and with his little income she is taking care of her 4 children. A caretaker is always needed to tend to Sundar full time. Yet the mother is so loving that she is looking after Sundar like a child.
3. Maria kani:
Name: Maria kani
Occupation: Agriculture Coolie
Age: 33
Husband's name: Ravi
Age 45
Children: 4 (3 girls and one boy)
Village: Pothakalanvilai

Shortly called Kani in her village, Maria kani's life is a hard struggle. She has four children to look after- three girls and one boy, both of them are in different classes in school. Husband Ravi is village barber. His duty is one of pitiable. He is the one to attend calls to shave persons when they fall dead. Also, he has to do hair dressing for the sick and the aged upon calling. A long struggle in his career and he gets in return as wages only a pittance. In some houses he would get rice and, in some houses, he would get some coins as wage. With this wage he tends to the three children. His wife kani is going for daily wage but the developing of a heart problem made her could not work continuously. She would breathe heavily when she is working for long hours. So, the family suffers starvation even in normal time. But covid-19 situation made their life so miserable that the children extended their hands for foot from the neighbours. Compounding the worry was that people stopped shaving and hair cutting for fear of infection when covid-19 was in full fury. The little income Ravi used to get was denied to him due to the pandemic. The total lockdown made their life so miserable.

4. Kerson Navaraj
Name: Kerson Navaraj
Age: 49
Occupation: Nil
Wife's Name: Jeya Lakshmi (No more)
Children: Two (one boy and one girl)

The life of Kerson was going peacefully when his wife Jeya lakshmi was alive. But misfortune struck his life hardly when his wife Jaya laxmi died one year back due to heart problem. All was going on well but the untimely and sudden death made the family pitiable. The two children's studies suffer as the income of the family suddenly stopped. Kerson and his wife Jaya (Jayalakshmi) were making a small income by selling eatables and stationery for the school children in front of the main gate of the school in their area. They would spread the things needed for the children on a mat in the floor in front of the main gate of the school. Children used to flock around Kerson who was like a Christmas uncle (St. Nicholas) for the small children. She was always smiling sitting on a chair. His wife Jaya used to go to the market and buy things for the children for selling when the school is open. During weekend and holidays their business was shut and instead they sold the things in front of the church during Sunday service. They got decent income and they were happy looking after their two children. The sudden death of Jaya made Kerson shut his business and he finds it very difficult to look after the two children. The second wave of covid-19 was so severe, Kerson and his two children virtually passed the darkest days without enough food. Starvation made their health getting deteriorated. The Polio attack on him during childhood made Kerson disabled and he has difficulty even to walk. She is in no position to go to the market to buy things to start his small business again.
5. Community – Palmyra Tappers

In the Project area there is a community called Palmira tappers. They used to climb trees which are large in number. They collect its juice which is sweet, tasty and healthy. This is a traditional drink in the southern part of Tamil Nādu. They used to boil the juice and make local made jaggery which is an alternative for sugar. There is great demand for jaggery due to its health effects. But the trade is very risky as the fall from the trees when climbing the trees would be fatal. The present generation youth avoid this occupation but a majority of the past generation eke out their living by palmyra tapping. The whole family has to sweat it out as the children have to collect firewood to boil the palmyra juice. This community people were passing through a harrowing period during the covid-19 attack. Their daily activities came to a standstill due to lockdown. They could not take the Palmyra juice for selling in public places as the places were deserted due to lockdown. They were not able to sell jaggery in the market as it was closed for a very long period due to covid-19 restrictions. Their income is very little that they have no money to buy food items during this period. There was no end in sight as lockdown period was extended long. Starvation looms large over these families.