In Kotra, one of the least developed regions in India, the lockdown has hit the rural and tribal communities particularly hard. The region is more than 100km by car from Udaipur, and has very limited infrastructure, such as poorly maintained roads. As a result, the inflow of food and other essential supplies has been slow.

This was noticed by Bibla, who is taking all the steps he can to support his family and community.

Bibla is a teacher in one of Seva Mandir's Shiksha Kendra bridge schools. As with most of the teachers, Bibla's role is not just to provide the children with a quality education, but also to be a community leader. During the lockdown, he is ensuring the welfare of his students outside of the Shiksha Kendra by calling their parents and giving them work they can do at home. He is also spreading awareness of and connecting families to government schemes to help them in any way he can.

Even with Bibla's efforts, the lockdown has made connecting with his neighbours and other community members much more difficult.

‘This has stopped the whole village from working together' Describes Bibla. ‘The lockdown is affecting our mental health as we are not able to come together as a community, and we are worried about a shortage of food'.

Seva Mandir, along with the regional government, are providing those most in need with relief kits, including sanitation and food kits that can help families survive the coming weeks. Bibla explains that even with the lockdown, those more fortunate in the village are making sure the most needy do not go hungry: ‘My family and I have reduced how much we are eating every day to save some food to share with others. My wife cooks two extra meals every day that we give to our neighbours who cannot afford to eat. Others in our community are also donating food supplies.'

The people living in Bibla's village are a testament to community spirit. In times of crisis, they are banding together, ensuring that no one goes hungry and that everyone can survive the lockdown.