Disaster Response Initiatives of United Way Mumbai

United Way Mumbai has played a leadership role by mobilizing resources from corporate and individual donors, during major national calamities and proactively responded to the needs of the disaster affected communities. This includes:

• Mobilizing and channelizing resources, including monetary and in-kind donations, and volunteers
• Identification of credible NGO partners for on-ground implementation after thorough due diligence
• Comprehensive need assessment of the affected communities by consultations with the government, local organizations and local community
• Facilitation and monitoring of relief and rehabilitation programs and efficient funds utilization
• Tracking progress and reporting of response interventions, including keeping the local government and associated agencies apprised of the progress
• Ensuring coordination between NGO partners, volunteer agencies and local governments for a comprehensive approach towards relief and/or rehabilitation

FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19,  MARCH 2020

• United Way Mumbai has been actively responding to the pandemic since its onset in India.
• Our public health infrastructure was overwhelmed and struggling to cope with the surge in cases. We helped equip healthcare facilities and frontline workers with protective equipment like PPE Kits, masks, gloves, etc. and necessary medical equipment.
• We also included awareness interventions on vaccination and COVID Appropriate Behaviour.
• Once the vaccine was developed, we also facilitated vaccination for low income communities.
• To compensate for the loss of income faced by marginalized communities, we supported families of daily wage earners, small business owners and self-employed persons through the provision of ration and hygiene essentials kits.
• We promoted entrepreneurship among women, addressing low female labour force participation by supporting women with occupational tools that will allow them to start their own entrepreneurial ventures from home.
• We also facilitated transportation for migrant communities to help them get back to their hometowns and villages
• We equipped autorickshaws and taxis with safety screens, providing hygiene and sanitation material and training the drivers on COVID appropriate behaviour to maximise safety.

• The project interventions include a diverse group of beneficiaries which primarily include people belonging to the informal sector, single women, self-employed people etc.
• Priority was given to the most affected families and individuals.
• The project focused on providing the long-term sustainable option of livelihood to the targeted families by helping them with providing necessary support in the form of tools, equipment, machines etc.
• In addition to this, the project also focused on building capacities and promoting mental well being of the community through soft-skills training and psycho-social support.

• Distribution of emergency kits, W
  ASH kits, solar lights, non food items (such as materials to construct temporary shelters, blankets, utensils etc),
• Safe drinking water
• Health camps to prevent the spread of epidemic post floods
• Transitional shelters
• Cleaning and disinfecting water sources
• Temporary employment through cash-for-labour schemes
• Support for mid and long term rehabilitation

 

ASSAM FLOODS,  JULY 2019 

• • Support for mid and long term rehabilitation
  • Deployment of relief material.
  • Health & hygiene kits
  • Dry rations
  • Temporary shelter
  • Medical camps
  • Sanitation requirements

• • Shelter support through temporary and transitional shelters
  • Health support through health camps in the affected communities
  • WASH support for access to safe water and sanitation
  • Non food items like mosquito nets, utensils, solar lanterns, bedsheets and clothes etc.

• • Immediate relief interventions for providing health care facilities
  • Facilities for enhanced sanitation facilities to the flood-affected communities
  • Facilitated distribution of ration and hygiene kits

KERALA FLOODS,  AUGUST 2018

• • Support for mid and long term rehabilitation
  • Deployment of relief material.
  • Health & hygiene kits
  • Dry rations
  • Temporary shelter
  • Medical camps
  • Sanitation requirements

MAHARASHTRA DROUGHT, APRIL 2016 

• Provide a supply of potable water to villages.
• Household-level Water Filter
• Access to safe water
• Ration kits
• Preventive Healthcare kits
• Curative Healthcare
• Alternate Livelihood Support
• Psychosocial support to prevent farmers' suicides

• Formation of village disaster management committees (VDMC) to increase disaster preparedness.
• Village hazard mapping and micro development plans conducted, alongside training on search and rescue, first aid, early warning and coordination at the time of relief distribution.
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) training given to school children from classes 1 to 10.
• First aid and search & rescue training sessions have been conducted in schools as part of school safety program. 
• Other rehabilitation work has included 16 Permanent shelters with toilets and Tara pumps on elevated platforms, constructed in 4 villages of the Lakhimpur district - Borgoya, Tiokia, Pashcim Kharkati and Kolaguri. 

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JAMMU AND KASHMIR FLOODS, 2014

• Immediate Relief, Winter Clothing, Transitional Shelters - vital interventions considering the severe winter months
• Construction of 100 transit shelters in worst affected communities
• Provision of community toilets and safe drinking water facilities to five villages in Bandipora Tehsil, Pulwama District
• Infrastructural enhancement support including; two ambulances, room heaters, water purifiers, baby warmers, LED TVs for edutainment of the OPD patients and blankets to Government G.B. Pant Children Hospital

UTTARAKHAND FLOODS, 2013

• Immediate Relief and Mid-Term Relief interventions in areas of water, sanitation, mother & child care, health care and education
• Reconstruction of five fully damaged government school buildings in Rudraprayag district
• Support to women' self-help group for livelihood diversity and promotion.
• Construction of community toilets and safe drinking water stations
• Yearlong interventions for providing supplementary support to over 60 schools in the immediate aftermath of floods
• Community based interventions in 60 villages under Rudraprayag district for prevention of child trafficking and child labour
• Project for learning enhancement thereby improving the quality of education in 48 government primary schools and 12 government upper primary schools in Rudraprayag district
• Residential shelter catering to 100 boys from flood affected families over a period of two years thereby supporting quality living, education, nutrition and vocational training
• Educational scholarship to support meritorious students belonging to flood affected families

KARNATAKA AND ANDHRA PRADESH FLOODS, 2009

• Immediate relief interventions for providing health care and facilities for enhanced sanitation facilities to the flood affected communities
• Support for running temporary community kitchen
• Restoration of partially damaged houses
• Reconstruction of fully damaged houses
• Construction of multipurpose Community center

• Interventions for Rehabilitation of Victims
• Needs assessment study
• Follow-up visits
• Interventions for Disaster Preparedness
• Strengthening of Emergency Shelters
• Disaster Response Training

• Reconstructing the lives of 5,000 flood affected people
• Providing kitchens,balwadi, vocational training and health facilities
• Providing toilets to maintain levels of hygiene
• Providing immediate relief to 40,000 flood affected people
• Running community kitchens to provide 3 meals per day
• Providing shelter to cattle of the families affected

• Provided educational support in the form of school uniforms, bags, notebooks, compass boxes to school going children affected by floods
• Reached out to 8 affected schools and 9 slum communities in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai
• Sangli & Kolhapur District suffered significantly in the floods United Way Mumbai rebuilt 50 houses, provided stoves to 244 families, helped in building toilets and conducted awareness campaigns on health and hygiene

• Restored the livelihoods of 327 families
• Replaced 89 boats, nets, motors across 4 communities, impacting 1308 people
• Log books to track usage of boats, catch and income revived
• Opening bank accounts and inculcating saving habits
• Monthly repayment for the boats to instill pride and value for boats allocated
• Funds raised through repayment to be used for community welfare
• Supported building of English Medium School from Nursery - V Std at Chinnakudi Village, Nagapattinam District
• 100 permanent shelters