St. FX University’s Coady Institute is lending a hand to assist India, a country being ravaged by
Coady International Institute at St. FX University
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coady Executive Director Gord Cunningham says it was contacted by the Self Employed Women’s Association in India, asking for help. The Coady has a 45 year relationship with the association and includes five ongoing initiatives. Cunningham says it was able to make a connection with a foundation it already works with to assist.
The Comart Family Foundation is contributing $500,000. Cunningham says $300,000 is going to immediate COVID-19 relief for such things as equipping organizers with PPE to prevent the spread of the virus and to ramp up production of masks for local villages, as well as a COVID help line connected directly to doctors and provide virus awareness.
The remaining $200,000 is for a Livelihoods Recovery and Resilience Fund. It includes providing low cost loans to help businesses recover.