Stories of Bharat – Team Uthishta’s unique initiative ‘Mission Umbrella’ aims to help Vanavasis during rainy season

Western Ghats bordering Karnataka and Kerala has a vast population of Vanavasis. They live in small colonies within or on the peripheries of forests. They are the warriors who protect the forest as they worship nature as their god.

The torrential rain during monsoon is a season of diseases, hunger and fear for those dwelling in forests. This region gets 4 times higher average rain (3000-4000mm) than Bangalore (950mm) during the rainy season. The tribal settlements are going to see an extremely difficult time in the upcoming 4 months of monsoon season added with the impacts of Corona lockdown.

Uthishta has identified 550 such families needing immediate help. The task is to provide each family with a tarpaulin sheet to protect them from rains. Donors are urged to come forward and donate an umbrella.tarpaulin to Vanavasis, with the same cost Team Uthishta shall provide protection for an entire family from torrential rain and associated diseases and difficulties.

In the month of May, Uthishta had provided vegetable kits to a vast group of tribal population who were affected due to lockdown. During lockdown, the Vanavasis were unable to find jobs or sell their forest produce to earn money. Hence, most of them could not prepare well for the current monsoon season. Their homes are sheds measuring hardly 200 square feet in the middle of forest, made of sheets, bamboos and palm leaves, which cannot save them from torrential rains and wild animals.

Uthishta has decided to help Vanvasis to get a good roof to save them from the rains this monsoon. Donors can donate to the cause here -> https://uthishta.org/donate

Hakki-Pikki community is a nomadic tribe in Karnataka. Their livelihood is based on odd jobs and manual labour in cities and towns. Their livelihoods were affected during lockdown. 215 such Hakki-Pikki families including small children, women and elderly persons were living in near Kumbalgod, outskirts of Bangalore.

Uthishta volunteers noticed their poor condition and lack of food due to lockdown and immobility. Uthishta decided to support them and distributed 1500 KGs of rice to this community. Their help was received with joy from the entire Hakki-Pikki community.

In support of distressed small scale farmers of Malur (Kolar District, Karnataka), Uthishta directly procured around 16000 Kgs of fresh farm vegetables and distributed them at various locations Bangalore. At a time when farmers were unable to harvest their products due to lack of demand and low price, Uthishta’s support meant a lot to them.

Uthishta is a social service and charitable trust inspired by Swami Vivekananda and was formed in the year 2006.

The primary aim of Team Uthishta is to serve people who have been socially and economically marginalized, by reaching out to them with programs to foster self-reliance and independence. Uthishta also conducts programs to sustain and promote spiritual and cultural heritage of India.

Each year, Uthishta Seva Puraskar is given to charitable organisations which work in the area of upliftment of the weaker sections of the society. Uthishta Seva Puraskar has been given to six such organisations till date. The 6th Uthishta Seva Puraskar 2020 was awarded to Sevabharathi Kanyadi Dharmasthala, Karnataka by Dr K Sivan, Chairman of ISRO, in recognition of their social service to the deserved and marginalized segment of the population of Belthangady Taluk.