Gratitude for Community Volunteers Saving Lives during Covid-19 in Manipur

The pandemic has demonstrated how real change is/will be brought by the community and citizens. For instance in Manipur, a state in the northeast of India, the leikai(community or locality) clubs have organised themselves to save lives. 

Breaking the Silence Worldwide Foundation, a non-profit based in India, conducted the distribution of protective gear made up of high grade N95 masks, face shields, disinfectant and soap bars to thirty-one leikai clubs in Imphal East and Imphal West districts in Manipur in the northeastern region of India between 27- 30 August 2021 with the objective to ensure protection of frontline workers and express gratitude for their selfless service during the pandemic. A leikai is a unique settlement pattern found only in Manipur in India, made up of 100-200 households and smaller than a ward.

Founder and social worker, Urmila Chanam informed that the exemplary leadership and contribution of leikai clubs and its Covid-19 volunteers in the prevention, monitoring, providing linkages to testing, vaccination and hospitalisation, and essentials and medicines to households impacted by Covid-19 can easily be a best practice of community response in the pandemic not just in India but, globally. Additionally, these leikai club volunteers are not compensated in any way nor are they on the payrolls of any organization yet they risk their lives to do such a humanitarian service.

The clubs which were reached include Youth Brighter Club (YBC) in Maning Leikai road, Langdum, Young Men Development Organization Club (YMDO) at Heirangoithong, Kakwa Covid Task Force Co-ordinating Committee (made up of 16 leikai clubs), The Welfare Club at Sagolband Tera Amudon Akham Leikai, Socio Cultural and Sports Organisation (SCASO) at Sagolband Tera Pukhrambam Leikai, Local Disaster Response Force (LDRF) in Khumbong Bazar, Tribal Youth Club(TYC) at Tribal Market in New Lambulane, and Kuki Student Organization run Covid Care Center in Dewlahland.

The challenges that the leikai clubs and Covid volunteers experienced were discussed with an aim to foster cross-learning, enhance impact, and address the lacunae, collectively.

One of the most urgent need across the clubs is for good quality masks, PPEs, hand sanitizer and gloves for leikai club Covid volunteers, technical guidance on Covid related protocols in different scenarios like death, conducting last rites, travelling and so on, getting recognized as Covid frontline workers entitled to health and life insurance or gratuity in the incident of sickness or death, and funding support to sustain their activities.

The mission is not over. The organization is mobilizing donation at the rate of 20 USD per head for providing

(1) protective materials and

(2) training on effective management of community health to leikai club or community volunteers fighting Covid-19 at the frontlines in high prevalence districts of Kakching and Bishnupur districts in Manipur in northeast region of India. Contact urmilabtswf@gmail.com for more information or to make a contribution.