Phia Foundation is trying to work with its partners on the ground to reach out to those in dire need, building on its long-term commitment to promote inclusive and non-discriminatory growth and dignity for all.
The Covid Response team has adopted a multi-pronged approach to cater to all the requirements of the migrant labourers stranded across the country-
Building Solidarity with the State Government of Jharkhand to curb the effects of COVID
Phia Foundation in collaboration with the Department of Labour, Employment and Training, Government of Jharkhand has established a COVID-19 Response Team to mitigate the effects of COVID- 19 on migrant labourers. Also known as the COVID 19 Migrant Labour Response Control Room, this team operates from the State Secretariat in Ranchi. The team is active round the clock to ensure a safety net of basic public goods for all the migrant workers from Jharkhand marooned across the country.
The COVID 19 Response Team has adopted a three-pronged approach to cater to all the requirements of the migrant labourers from Jharkhand stranded across the country. The three elements of the approach are as follows:
Migrant Labour COVID 19 Helpline: Through a helpline aid launched on 27th March 2020, 200 volunteers have come forward to register the issues of migrant labourers through phone calls on numbers circulated nationally through multiple mediums. When some individual calls on the helpline, the COVID response team records all their essential details, like their personal information, location, situation, grievances and all the help required to ensure that they are linked up with appropriate support and response systems. Through this Helpline managed by Phia Foundation the Government has been able to identify and counsel more than one million people from Jharkhand stranded across the country.
The Jharkhand government is also coordinating with the concerned state agencies (where these people are stranded) to assist them with basic supplies and health related aid. For labourers stranded in other states the Helpline assists the State Government of Jharkhand to reach out to the state administration of other states and ensure that the necessary help reaches on time to the individuals stranded in those states. In addition to building networks with state administrations, Phia has also been able to establish a network with 127 Civil Society Organisations across the country to ensure facilitation of basic food and non-food essentials to the stranded migrants.
With facilitation, conceptualization and coordination of Phia Foundation and in collaboration with IIIT-B (Bangalore), a cloud-based application was developed which is accessible over both web and mobile for the Help Desk operations. This application is being used to ensure proper management, assigning, monitoring and tracking of tasks, along with analysis of the data being collated.
Coordination Platform between Government of Jharkhand and CSOs: Phia Foundation has also initiated a state level Government - CSO Coordination Platform. The aim is to bring together all relevant and active stakeholders who can collaborate to effectively respond to the emerging needs of the crisis. The platform helps in bridging the gap between on-ground needs and delivery by creating a transparent and collaborative space for agencies to come together and respond in a coordinated manner and avoid duplication.
Assisting the State Government in Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT): Phia is assisting the State Government to streamline the process of providing financial support to migrant labourers in critical need. Through the Mukhyamantri Suvidha App migrant workers are being provided Rs.1000 each in their bank accounts through Direct Benefits Transfer method. Around 3,06,786 individual applications have been received, out of which 2,63,013 applications have been approved and are being financially aided through the “Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Vishesh Sahayta Yojna”.
Other than the COVID19 response control room, Phia has also been coordinating with other agencies to expand its scope of response work -
Distribution of Food and Non-food Essentials for People in Distress: Phia Foundation, with financial aid from Azim Premji Foundation and Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiative (APPI), is distributing dry ration kits and non-food essentials to around 15,000 households in Ranchi city and three other districts through the partner organisations. An additional 1,489 PPE kits were distributed to frontline health workers to aid them in their fight against the pandemic.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Government of Jharkhand: An MOU has also been signed between Phia Foundation and Department of Labour on 18th May 2020 to collaboratively work on issues of migration, managing the central control room and setting up Migration Facilitation Center for the state.
With instability soaring everyday, Phia Foundation believes in extending its support to the vulnerables beyond territorial boundaries. With our on-going work in Jharkhand, we have also coordinated and provided comprehensive dry ration kits to over 250 migrant and marginalized families in Delhi NCR and with new lockdown measures as we prepare for the uncertainty ahead, we thrive to provide for all those in need.
Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) was signed between the Labour department and Labour Net: An Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) was signed on 24th Sep 2020 between Department of Labour, Employment and Training, Government of Jharkhand and LabourNet Services India Private Limited to facilitate an institutionally effective coordination framework for livelihood and Job creation ensuring the welfare of migrant
workers of Jharkhand as per the appropriate labour rights in presence of Shri R. N. Yadav, Labour Commissioner, Department of Labour, Employment
and Training, Government of Jharkhand. LabourNet is India’s leading social enterprise committed to enable sustainable livelihood for the disadvantaged population through its Work-force Transformation Model, which uses government funds, corporate CSR funds and corporate business revenues to brings multiple stakeholders together and create interventions related to Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship. The Purpose and Scope of the Agreement are between the parties for the smooth implementation of agreed activities for the welfare of migrant workers of Jharkhand to be employed through LabourNet. The selection of workers as per skill category and will be suitably assisted by the Responsible Migration Centre (RMC) led by Phia Foundation in partnership with Change Alliance Pvt. Ltd and Policy and Development Advisory Group (PDAG) for strategic guidance and support.