Hailing from the village of Matipura in the Chhatarpur District of Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Bandu Gond has not had an easy life. Bandu, who lives with his aging parents, his wife, and his two children (ages 10 and 7), was the sole breadwinner in his family until tragedy struck in 2013. He lost both of his hands in an accident. Suddenly unable to work, Bandu was forced to watch his wife, Shyam, venture out as a daily-wage laborer in nearby agricultural fields. With her minimal income barely enough to sustain the basic needs of this 6-person family, there was no chance to save any money to fall back on in times of need.

When the Indian government announced a complete lockdown to suppress the nationwide spread of the pandemic, Shyam could find no work at all. Reduced to begging and borrowing money from whoever they could find, the Gond family was desperate. Thankfully, relief came for them at just the right time through EHA. They were discovered by EHA staff who were distributing money from EHA’s Tearfund Project. An amount of 1,200 rupees ($16) was deposited in their account, enabling them to meet their basic needs for a week or two.

The Gonds were not the only family helped by this program. Through EHA’s Tearfund Project, a team of social workers provided financial assistance to about 150 families. Each family was given 1,200 rupees in the first phase and an additional 2,400 rupees in the second phase. These funds meant the difference between starvation and survival for each of these families.