These are unprecedented times. One on hand, we are witnessing the worst of nature, death, destruction, disease everywhere, and it is disproportionately affecting the already vulnerable populations and pushing them to the margins; and on the other hand, we have seen the good side of thousands and thousands of people, who, without any inhibitions, have decided to jump at the first opportunity to help those in need. We, obviously, want to look at the bright side during these grim times. There is an organization that follows in the footsteps of NT Rama Rao, and is doing great humanitarian work amid the pandemic. That organization is called RAW NTR and has undertaken the mammoth task of feeding the poor and vulnerable population of the Telugu states.
RAW NTR officially registered on November 23, 2020. The organization has been functioning since January 2021. They started the 365 Days Food Donation Program across Telugu states (Andhra Pradesh & Telangana) and few areas in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Under this program, the RAW NTR volunteers and team members will deliver breakfast/meals/groceries/fruits to orphanages, homeless people, old age homes, shelters, and blind schools, and other places that house the vulnerable population across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
They have reached many people till now and one of the secrets behind their initial success is great coordination and communication. They manage more than a hundred WhatsApp groups, so if anyone is in dire need of anything, all they need to do is reach out to them. If you wish to contribute, you should also reach out to them. They want to ensure that no one remains untouched. Whether you want blood, or food, or anything that requires urgent attention, these volunteers will connect you to the right channel through their WhatsApp groups. They have a WhatsApp group for the team to coordinate within themselves. Their program- Helping Hands- has already started since the 13th of June 2021. If any good Samaritan is interested in being a part of this noble initiative, they can register on the website and fill out a form with all the necessary details. The form is available under the ‘Become a volunteer’ section of the website. The registration is free for everyone.
The form asks you basic questions and takes your response on how and in which capacity you would like to volunteer or contribute. RAW NTR believes that every contribution whether it is in cash, kind, or mankind matters. Some volunteer by giving blood. Some by handling the groundwork for the NGO. Your data will be collected by the RAW NTR backend team and whenever a need arises, they will get in touch with you.
Since they have undertaken a mammoth task, you can be assured that once you fill up the form you will be contacted by the team. They are in constant need of helping hands and resources and if you are a good samaritan who wishes to contribute in whatever way they can, they would be more than happy to get in touch with you.
Their website has been live since 1st July 2021. It can be accessed here (https://rawntr.com/). They have taken it upon themselves to ensure that no one sleeps hungry, and everyone has access to help whenever they need. This NGO is acting as a beacon of light and hope for everyone during these dark times.
