A Srinagar-based Non-governmental Organization `ELFA International’ has distributed 27000 units of hand sanitizers, facemasks, PPEs, and hand gloves among the frontline health workers for protection against COVID 19.
“Our primary focus is on education, youth, and women empowerment. After the coronavirus outbreak, we shifted gears and launched an emergency response,” Mehran Khan, Chief Executive (CEO) of ELFA International, told The Kashmir Monitor.
Given the restrictions and lockdown, Khan employed local tailors to stitch some masks and high-quality reusable PPEs that were distributed among the health workers. “We have employed a lot of local tailors, including women, to stitch masks and PPEs. We are managing everything locally at the moment,” he said.
Khan said the NGO is now trying to reach out to the poor and needy who are unable to sustain during the lockdown. “There are many families who do not have money or means to procure supplies. Everybody has been hit by the lockdown. Some people can survive for a longer time, others can’t. Especially, rickshaw pullers and transporters are badly hit”, he said.
Khan said a lot of families are contacting them for ration, medicines and other help. “We are providing ration kits and medicine to the needy We have also distributed sanitary napkins among women. We have also supplied drinking water bottles to various quarantine facilities ”, he said.
