The lockdown and other restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have brought economic activities, particularly in the informal sectors, almost to a cessation. The lockdown and post lockdown has toppled the lives and livelihoods of millions of migrant workers including daily wage workers, petty business holders and construction workers with no social security. The implications on the poor and marginalized sections such as the daily wage labourers, forest dwellers and informal sector workers with inadequate economic and social safety nets is severe and will have long term consequences on their lives and livelihood. In order to reduce the impact of Covid-19 on poor, WOSCA provided dry ration to 6500 deserving families including single women headed, differently abled, distress families without ration card, migrant labour and vulnerable tribal communities in Keonjhar and Jajpur districts of Odisha. Similarly 1500 distress families in urban areas of Bhubaneswar have been provided with dry ration.

Apart from ration distribution, WOSCA provided assistance to government in preparing list of migrant labour returned from different states and their safe stay in quarantine centres at panchayat level in Keonjhat, Jajpur and Bhadrak districts of Odisha. WOSCA also provided hot cooked meal to the families of Covid-19 affected people when they are in isolation and no one with them to prepare food in keonjhar municipality. WOSCA took up coordination initiatives with district administration in effective outreach and implementation of COVID- 19 welfare package and other social protection benefits for the poor in Keonjhar, Jajpur and Bhadrak districts of Odisha.

Similarly WOSCA is facilitating covid 19 vaccination in Banspal block of Keonjhar district and so far 2940 PVTG people (Juanga) have been vaccinated. They all were vaccine hesitant and owning to strong community mobilisation they could come forward to take jab.

All the above initiatives have been supported by Ajim Premji Foundation, Plan International. Jiv Daya foundation, UNDP and the Hunger Project. Some individual donation from generous people also received in this noble cause.