Coronavirus Outbreak: GP, Brac to provide cash aid to one lakh families
Grameenphone yesterday said they have donated Tk 15 crore to Brac's emergency food assistance fund, which will help 100,000 families, who have become jobless following the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Each family will receive Tk 1,500 for two weeks' essential food supplies, the leading mobile carrier said in an online video conference said.
It is part of a joint initiative, "Dakche Amar Desh" (My Nation Calls), by the world renowned non-government organisation Brac and telco Grameephone.
During the conference, they said the ongoing social distancing drive and restriction on movement due to the Covid-19 pandemic is taking a toll on people who survive on daily wages and live in extreme poverty.
According to a nationwide survey by Brac among 2,675 low-income people in 64 districts, it wasseen that 14 percent of low-income families do not have food at home. Due to the general holidays and lockdowns to enforce social distancing measures, 72 percent of the respondents reported job loss or reduced work opportunities.
In the video conference, Chief Executive Officer of Grameenphone Yasir Azman said in this global crises all in the public-private sector need to come together to tackle the upheaval caused by Covid-19.
He also requested all individuals and enterprises to join the initiative or similar ones of the government and other entities.
Asif Saleh, executive director of Brac, said, this is a humanitarian crisis, not just a health pandemic.
Brac has committed and mobilised Tk 30 crore to support 200,000 families, said Saleh, thanking Grameenphone for their generous support which will enable Brac to scale up further.
They have mobilised the entire organisation from the onset with over 100,000 field staffers, health workers, and volunteers on the ground.
Comments