Kala is the 5000th person to be vaccinated under the vaccination programme run by Shanti Ashram with the support of AMU.
“I know I am vulnerable because I am 60 years old, elderly and have many risk factors converging in my life!”
Kala lives in Kuruchi, a village on the outskirts of Coimbatore city where she runs a small local grocery shop. She’s a widow and lives in a small house with her only son, his wife and their children.
When the Covid19 pandemic was at its worst, they had to live from one day to the next and lost a lot. Things are improving slightly but life is still very difficult, mainly because of the permanent nature of the epidemic.
“Poverty is real for us. It is an experience we are living. My son has a day job and the constant closures have not only put my son and my income into crisis, they have also sent us into a deep depression.
Many women in our neighbourhood have died of COVID 19, leaving young children behind. Not only were people afraid of the virus. They were also afraid of dying, isolation, the unknown nature of the virus and how quickly it spread to all the other members of the family”.
Although initially sceptical, Kala attended an awareness session in Kurichi itself where she heard about the assistance provided by ‘A Vaccine for All’ project and the protection offered by the vaccine. Once she been convinced, she became the 5000th person to receive the vaccine.
“Now that I’ve had both doses of the COVID 19 vaccine, my family and I are safe and can continue our daily activities. Luckily, thanks to the information and help provided by ICPH and Shanti Ashram, my family and I have been able to get fully vaccinated. With a vaccination certificate, we are able to go to the market to buy and sell products. This has definitely improved our financial situation!”.
Kurichi is one of the villages that ICPH and Shanti Ashram has been serving since 1986.