You Are On Mute
By March 2020, “screen time” was no longer anathema as all of us turned to our digital devices to resume social connections in a physically-distanced world. For many who had until then neither owned nor interacted with smartphones, learning to use these seemingly daunting devices became a necessity. Within days of the lockdown, SEWA went online, training members to use smartphones, create accounts, meet online, administer surveys, and rebuild their networks of solidarity and support. Hours were spent on mobile devices taking stock of the impact of the lockdown and then the delta waves on the lives and livelihoods of the members.
SEWA launched a digital financial literacy program linking beneficiaries with the formal financial system and access to digital relief that would follow. They uploaded 14 multilingual e-modules and virtually trained 4,188 master trainers across India. By September, 350 zero-percent interest loans were given to street vendors to stabilize their livelihoods, and by December, an additional 1,354 loans with 2.5% interest were disbursed, all of which have since been repaid.
Recognizing that Zoom school was not feasible for the vast majority of children in India, an asynchronous digital program was launched within a week of the lockdown. Assignments were sent digitally encouraging children to engage with their home environment, learn about the histories of their neighborhoods and their families, participate in household chores, complete school readings, and upcycle waste to create art. Their online program was called Samany no Samman - Respecting Time.
By March-end, SEWA launched a telemedicine helpline that had been used by one third of all surveyed households that had sought help. Their health app Swasthya Samudaya maintained vaccination logs and tracked reasons for hesitancy. Today, the app provides nudges, reminders, and health education content.
This installation celebrates the extraordinary digital technology that held societies together as the pandemic ravaged communities around the world. The fragmented display echoes the fractured existence of those uncertain times.
Bobby McCarthy (Technology)
Deepak Ramola (Video)
Hiteshree Das (Design)
Karthik Garish (Visualization)
William Boles (Fabrication)
Videos provided for this exhibition by SEWA