Shreni Relief Fund

The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic is most acutely felt by workers of the informal sector. As the crisis continues, weavers and artisans across the country have lost access to their daily wage as production sites and workshops have closed down.While the efforts being made by central and state governments vis-à-vis the PM CARE Fund or the CM Relief Fund (Karnataka) are important, there have been no sustained efforts to counter the plight of the weavers. Even fundraisers that are raising funds for essential goods, food, and medicine are largely focused on construction workers, daily wagers, house helps, etc. 

Our efforts are to reach weavers and artisans who fall between the cracks of central and state government grants, as well as, informal-sector focused fundraisers.

The Shreni Relief Fund (spearheaded by Shreni Community Trust) aims to provide direct monetary support to weavers and artisans. Our aim to help their lack of access to monetary capital. We hope to relieve some of this pressure by direct transfer of a stipulated amount into their accounts for them to use as they seem fit. This also allows us to work remotely without disrupting social distancing guidelines on our end, as well for the beneficiaries.

From the Shrenis network, we will identify the most vulnerable weaver and artisan families who will receive direct financial support to address their immediate needs such as food grains and medical supplies, as well as, to make credit and loan payments. , the need of the hour is making direct funding available for distressed families to utilise as per their current socio-economic requirements. This is especially true for weavers and artisans, who have pending payments and loans from private moneylenders and traders, adding to the financial pressure they feel in the current atmosphere.