Twitter has donated USD 15 million to aid in the response to the COVID-19 crisis in India, which is dealing with an unprecedented second wave of the deadly pandemic. On Monday, Twitter CEO Jack Patrick Dorsey tweeted that the money had been donated to three non-governmental organizations: Care, Aid India, and Sewa International USA. CARE received USD 10 million, while Aid India and Sewa International USA each received USD 2.5 million.
Sewa International is a non-profit Hindu faith-based humanitarian service organization. As part of Sewa International’s ‘Help India Defeat COVID-19’ campaign, this grant will fund the purchase of lifesaving equipment such as oxygen concentrators, ventilators, BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) and CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines”, the San Francisco-based company said in a statement. In response to the announcement, Sandeep Khadkekar, Sewa International’s vice president for Marketing and Fund Development, thanked Dorsey for his generous donation, saying it is gratifying that Sewa’s work has been recognized.` Sewa USA, based in Houston, has so far raised USD 17.5 million for its COVID-19 relief efforts in India.
CARE is a leading humanitarian organization dedicated to alleviating global poverty. According to Twitter, the USD 10 million grant will support CARE’s urgent response to the deadly second wave of COVID-19 infections ravaging India. “Funds will be used to supplement government efforts by establishing temporary COVID-19 care centers, providing oxygen, PPE kits, and other critical emergency supplies to frontline health workers, and addressing vaccine hesitancy, and helping ensure that people get vaccinated, particularly in remote, marginalized communities in India,” it said.
The Association for India’s Development (AID) is a volunteer organization that promotes sustainable, equitable, and just development in India. According to Twitter, AID collaborates with grassroots organizations in India on interconnected issues such as education, health, agriculture, livelihoods, the environment, and human rights. The world has shown solidarity with India in the time of crisis, with aids pouring in from different parts of the world.
Less than a fortnight after President Joe Biden in his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged his country’s steadfast support for the people of India, America has responded with unprecedented financial assistance worth nearly USD half a billion. After, initial mismanagement the aid seems to have been reaching different Indian states struggling with the pandemic.
