The Covid-19 lockdown left many marginalised families at risk of not being able to access basic materials, including food. Recognising this, Seva Mandir implemented a relief effort to provide thousands of families with essential goods, including food, sanitation kits and grain-storage kits.

This has only been possible with the support of the Village Institutions - independent, democratically elected and gender equal groups that work for the development of their villages.

As a member of his local Village Institution in Kumbhalgarh, Jabbar has been working tirelessly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Through his efforts, he identified the families most at risk in his village and provided more than 450 with food and sanitation kits. This is no easy task, especially during a lockdown where movement is restricted. However, Jabbar worked with the local administration to aid his efforts.

His work did not stop here. He also identified 250 more families who had been missed by the government's own relief efforts. Jabbar shared the names of the families with the local administration who are now providing them with relief kits.

The importance of Village Institutions cannot be understated. They work solely for the betterment of their communities, in a fair, open and transparent way, that includes all members of society, regardless of caste, religion, gender or tribal affiliation. People like Jabbar are not rare; they are present throughout all of the Village Institutions that Seva Mandir facilitates, working to improve the lives of people living in rural areas.