Society for Participatory Research and Integrated Training

India

India has been under a nationwide lockdown since March 25. The lockdown was to end May 17, but was extended until May 31. The government began easing restrictions on May 4, including the reopening of neighborhood shops, manufacturing and farming in rural areas, and began running a limited number of trains.

This map from the New York Times shows India’s coronavirus case count by region. Our partner, Society for Participatory Research and Integrated Training (SPRIT), is located in Tamil Nadu.

Concerns, Challenges and Adaptation Measures

Due to the strict lockdown, SPRIT was unable to visit their ongoing projects occuring in the villages. As the government began to ease restrictions earlier this month, they were able to visit some areas although not all as some are still under red alert.

Emergency Fund

The Emergency Fund from Rockflower was used by SPRIT to place an order of 150 reusable masks with a local woman tailor. This not only helps protect the tribal families, but also provides economic empowerment within the community.