As the battle against COVID-19 continues, anganwadi workers in Punjab are not just turning out be an essential link between the public and the government, but are fearlessly shouldering responsibility with the front-line warriors.
Manpreet Kaur, an anganwadi worker from Patti Dhaliwal Sudhar village in Ludhiana district, told The Hindu over phone that she and other helpers have been distributing homemade masks by visiting houses across the village. “Those who can’t afford to purchase or make masks, they are on our priority list. These masks are stitched by many women in the village. I myself stitch them at home and then distribute them to vegetable vendors, migrant labourers,” she said.
Ms. Kaur believes that this is not the time to run away from one’s duty. “I feel even more obligated towards society. I feel lucky as I believe that ‘Guru Maharaj’ has chosen me to serve his people. Since the outbreak, I have been going door to door in the village to identify COVID-19 patients in synergy with the health department. I had been collecting details about travel history of people. I tell people to stay at home unless it’s very urgent,” she said.
“Doctors, police, nurses – all are working without fear and so am I,” she said.
Nutritional food
“I have been providing ration to the children and nutritional food to pregnant women right at their doorsteps,” said Shamsher Kaur of village Kamaali district in Fatehgarh Sahib. “I am also informing the people about the ways to keep the novel coronavirus at bay by regularly washing hands and covering mouth as well as nose while sneezing and coughing. Also, many of us are distributing sanitary napkins to promote menstrual hygiene.”
