People in several localities here are using social media platforms like WhatsApp for raising money to help destitute in neighborhood, amid the lockdown.
These Samaritan say the Whatsapp groups helped them toidentify families who were in need of financial help as well as potentialcontributors.
Mudasir Khazir started a WhatsApp group in Burzahamalocality few weeks ago. Along with other group members, he managed tosuccessfully raise hefty money in their locality to help others.
“Internet is an excellent tool which can be used to helpeach other while maintaining social distance. We used WhatsApp group to raisemoney and help those in need, while keeping the donor and those in needanonymous,” Khazir.
He said people were coming forward to contribute. “So far wehave reached out to over a dozen families,” Khazir said, adding the group hasover two dozen contributors.
He said once they set-up the group many youth in theadjacent localities also followed and started the initiatives in theirrespective areas.
The contributors of these groups say that the initiativehelped them to reach out to people anonymously and since most transactions weremade online, it enabled social distancing as well.
“Once we created the group in our locality, we realized thatyou don’t have to look too far to help. There are people living next door whoare in need of help. Over the past few weeks, many families in our localitywere helped out. Helping the needy on community level enables us to reach toevery corner,” said Sajad Ahmed, a student from Habak, a member of anotherWhatsApp group.
“We started the group among university friends. I think suchinitiatives should be taken up by everyone and continued throughout the year,”he said.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown,people from every section of society were coming forward to help those in need.Social media has played a major role in locating the poor and destitute andthose who are willing to help needy.