By Smriti Marak

Ambassa, Aug 13, 2020: An NGO led by the Society of the Divine Word has joined civil society groups to help those affected by the lockdown in a district of the northeastern Indian state of Tripura.

As coronavirus spread in Tripura, Oisho Bani Society (OBS) joining organizations such as Yuva Vikash Kendra to reach out to various parts of Dhalai district, its director Divine Word Father Jeevan Kennady told Matters India.

As the opening of relief work phase-II on August 13, Father Kennady handed over 30 dry ration kits worth of 800 rupees each in Laxmilonga and Lembucherra area and also in the working office of OBS near Assam Rifles Circuit House.

YVK, the partner organization of OBS and Prasanta Chowdhury, a volunteer of OBS, distributed dry ration kits to 150 families in Bardaman Thakurpara ADC village and 30 families in Teliamura respectively.

The dry ration includes rice, dal, oil, wheat, salt, turmeric, soybean, onion, potatoes, sanitizer and masks.

OBS has a plan to cover over 600 families from different places in Tripura in two weeks, said Father Kennady.

As many as 350 families in and around Agartala with the help of YVK and OBS, 85 families from Teliamura, 90 families from Khumulwng, 50 families from Ambassa and 52 families from Kamranga near Kamalpur will receive the relief materials in the coming days.

Besides the dry ration, OBS is also supporting 50 needy families including 25 women-led families to take up Income Generated Activities (IGA) especially piggery and goatery.

The 50 families who receive the IGA support from OBS will be continuously monitored for a long period to make the initiative a sustainable livelihood model, said Father Kennady.

Divine Word Fathers Valentine Dung Dung, Ivan D’Silva, Antony J, and Sushil Machar also joined for the relief distribution.

OBS is a faith-based organization, established in 2000, that works in the areas of gender, employment, tribes, business and finance, housing, health, education, water, disaster management, child and youth development, art and culture, food and nutrition and animal husbandry.