Bidyanondo, SAAF and others, standing by the vulnerable

At a time when most of humanity is subdued because of the ongoing pandemic, Bidyanondo Foundation has been one of the first responders to the crisis, providing food and medical safety gear to people who needed them the most. Apart from distributing food for the needy, Bidyanondo gave 5,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) and 20,000 masks. They also collaborated with the armed forces in order to cover the remote regions of our country. Now we learn that Suhana & Anis Ahmed Foundation (SAAF) has provided Tk 1.05 crore as a special Covid-19 financial backing to Bidyanondo Foundation, enabling immediate support to 22,000 families in the remote corners of Bangladesh. There are also other organisations and groups in the private sector that have mobilised resources to provide immediate food relief and financial assistance to the hundreds of people who have lost their only source of income during the pandemic and cannot feed themselves or their families.

Private initiatives like this reflect the spirit of generosity and compassion towards fellow humans inherent in many people, which has been activated by this crisis. It is an opportunity for us to demonstrate the best in us. It is also an essential component in our overall crisis response, as it supplements the efforts of the state. Without these altruistic endeavours, many people would be going hungry and be subjected to greater suffering. There are countless families spread across the nation, and the world at large, who are desperately in need of the most basic of necessities. Many are facing unprecedented hardships, trying to cope with the difficulties that the pandemic has thrown at us. And it is during such times that we must demonstrate inclusiveness through our support for each other. As individuals, we should all support these efforts in whatever way we can, according to our own capacities. We must take heed from the above example and try our best to assist such causes as it is the true essence of humanity—to survive all odds and manifest itself in the most difficult of times. More importantly, it is only if society as a whole reaches out to the most vulnerable in this crisis that we will be able to survive.