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For actressPoorna Jagannathan, it was of the utmost importance that she use her influence to help India’sCOVID-19relief effort.
India, at this time, is currently enduring one of the world’s most challenging coronavirus outbreaks due to a deadly second wave of infections. To assist in India’s time of need, Jagannathan — who is of Indian descent — worked alongside herNever Have I Evercolleagues to raise over $100,000 to benefitGiveIndia, an online donation platform for the country’s COVID relief efforts.
“Our fundraiser came together so quickly and could not have been done without the support ofMindy [Kaling], Lang [Fisher] — who created a show so rooted in the modern South Asian experience — and Netflix, who swooped in to make it happen,” Jagannathan, 48, tells PEOPLE ofthe cast’s charitable season 2 table read. “All three of us —Maitreyi [Ramakrishnan], Richa [Moorjani] and myself — had been feeling so down and helpless as we watched our feeds explode with news and overwhelming needs in India and I’m just grateful we were able to play a small part in using our platforms however we can to try and help.”
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“We all feel a level of helplessness at the reality of the situation. A friend texted this to me: ‘There are no ambulances, no open hospital beds, no oxygen supply, no ventilators, no basic necessities in pharmacies (like a thermometer). There are no cremation spots available for those who have passed. Grocery deliveries have stopped, there are no nurses or private care options available if you want to keep your loved one at home because hospitals are full,'” she says of the text.
“I think I have a version of survivor’s guilt.I’m fully vaccinated,my kid’s going to be vaccinated soon, there’s talk ofnot needing masks as much anymore,” she continues. “There’s a really bright light at the end of the tunnel here in the U.S. And yet, my Twitter feed reads like one big obituary. It feels impossible to enjoy this new ‘almost post-COVID’ life knowing that death, sickness and grief hang heavy in the air in India.”
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The actress additionally hopes that theNever Have I Evercast’s fundraiser “helps Indians in India realize that the rest of the world is thinking about them constantly” and that “they are not alone.”
“India thought they had escaped the virus unscathed and that the worst of it was over, but this virus still has so many unknowns and it’s unfortunately far from over,” she continues. “Already, we are hearing of surges in other parts of the world like Nepal and if we don’t act as a global community, the loss of life is going to continue to be unimaginable and further devastation unmeasurable.”
There are many ways that people around the world can give back amid this crucial time for India, Jagannathan says.
“Donations are what India desperately needs right now. We fundraised for GiveIndia’s emergency COVID relief efforts, andthe donation link is still live. But beyond giving money, I hope fans of our show and the general community at large raise their voices,” she says, explaining how there are “so many inspiring on the ground efforts” occurring right now.
“We need the G7 [Group of Seven] to speed up sharing vaccines, patents and information to help countries that are struggling to get out of crisis,” she continues. “COVID made sure we learned a lot of lessons — and one of the biggest ones is how interconnected we all are.”
To learn more about the cause and how you can help to support India, head toGiveIndia’s website.
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
