Providing emergency relief: Khalsa Aid - By Sahiba Chawdhary
Asia-Pacific director of Khalsa Aid provides humanitarian aid in New Delhi.
Amarpreet Singh
Amarpreet Singh, Asia-Pacific director of Khalsa Aid, an international NGO with the aim to provide humanitarian aid in disaster areas and civil conflict zones around the world, has played an instrumental role in developing emergency relief projects in India and Nepal. From COVID to the current movement against the newly passed farmer’s bill, he’s been on the frontline of providing relief and support to victims of natural and man-made disasters in Asia. Originally hailing from Patiala, with aspirations of becoming a commercial pilot, Singh changed paths and found his calling in humanitarian work.
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Amarpreet Singh, distributing tarpaulins to farmers at Singhu Border in New Delhi, India on 16th December 2020. He began volunteering at Khalsa Aid in 2013, and since then it’s been a journey of accomplishments.
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Amarpreet Singh, speaking to volunteers at the Khalsa Aid stall at Singhu Border in New Delhi, India on 14th December 2020. In 2013, Singh led his first relief project. It was providing aid at the Uttarakhand floods.
“I took a team from Patiala, which included most of my friends. We were registered legally and slowly began to make the organisation grow."
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Amarpreet Singh works with volunteers at the Khalsa Aid stall to set up electronic foot massagers for the elderly farmers at Singhu Border in New Delhi, India on 14th December 2020.
Singh believes that there is no bigger satisfaction than working with his team to help others.
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Amarpreet Singh scouts with Khalsa Aid volunteers for field research to set up water-proof shelter camps for women at the Singhu border in New Delhi, India on 16th December 2020.
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Singh believes that one of the biggest challenges faced for humanitarian work is to analyse what is required. He says, “we often conduct surveys to understand the needs of the people and how to ensure we provide it efficiently”.
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Amarpreet Singh and Khalsa Aid volunteers meet and discuss with local vendors to set up portable washrooms for women participating in the farmer's movement at the Singhu border in New Delhi, India on 16th December 2020.
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Amarpreet Singh speaks on the phone at the Khalsa Aid camp set up at the Singhu border in New Delhi, India on 16th December 2020.
Life has been busy for the organisation’s Asia-Pacific director since he took over in 2017. He began to lead all over India in 2015. So far, he has spearheaded more than 45 projects and missions for Khalsa Aid in India and Asia.
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Amarpreet Singh helps Khalsa Aid volunteers to set up supplies for distribution at the Khalsa Aid camp in New Delhi, India on 16th December 2020.
Singh believes that he and his team can’t always pre-plan what's always needed. So they need to often think on their feet and act immediately. Therefore, every day is a new challenge.
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Amarpreet Singh helps Khalsa Aid volunteers to set up supplies for distribution at the Khalsa Aid camp in New Delhi, India on 16th December 2020. As Khalsa Aid becomes aware of a natural disaster or conflict, they have a core team that assesses the situation. Team leaders plan and organise the relief procedure for the mission.
Singh says, “Sometimes, we are not always sure of what is required on ground for help at the disaster site. Apart from your basic need for food and shelter, we are trained and equipped to do trouble-shooting on the ground and come up with quick solutions to provide relief. Therefore we assess the situation and then provide relief."
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Amarpreet Singh, distributing tarpaulins to farmers at Singhu Border in New Delhi, India on 16th December 2020.
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Amarpreet Singh bows in gratitude while distributing tarpaulins to farmers at Singhu Border in New Delhi, India on 16th December 2020.
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A list of items and their distribution timings seen at the Khalsa Aid camp in New Delhi, on 16th December 2020.
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Amarpreet Singh shares a fun moment with the Khalsa Aid volunteers at the Khalsa Aid camp in New Delhi, India on 16th December 2020.
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A silhouette of Khalsa Aid volunteers distributing items to farmers at the Singhu Border in New Delhi on 16th December 2020.
So far, they have provided shelter with 400-beds with water-proof tenting in an open area along with mattresses, pillows, bedsheets, and blankets for farmers. They have also set up 50 washrooms with hamams (traditional manual geysers) and washing machines. Along with that, they are distributing daily need items such as combs, basic toiletries, undergarments, tarpaulins to protect from weather changes, food, and water.
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So far, Khalsa aid has provided shelter with 400-beds with water-proof tenting in an open area along with mattresses, pillows, bedsheets, and blankets for farmers. They have also set up 50 washrooms with hamams (traditional manual geysers) and washing machines. Along with that, they are distributing daily need items such as combs, basic toiletries, undergarments, tarpaulins to protect from weather changes, food, and water.
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Amarpreet Singh poses for a portrait in New Delhi, India on 16th December 2020. He says his dream is to build a stronger and bigger network of Khalsa Aid to provide aid for all communities.
Artist: Sahiba Chawdhary
Artist Bio
Sahiba Chawdhary is a photojournalist based in New Delhi (India), covering breaking news and feature stories. Most of her work revolves around documenting gender and land rights in India and South-East Asia. Her work has been commissioned and published by Getty Images, The New York Times, Vice News U.S, Vox, Mic., The Straits Times, The Phnom Penh Post, The Bangkok Post, The Nation, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, City Lab (The Atlantic), FirstPost, Al-Jazeera America among others.
A Lucknow native, Sahiba attended Delhi University's Lady Shri Ram College for Women where she studied political science and gender studies. She holds an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University and a graduate diploma in conflict transformation and peacebuilding from Aung Sang Suu Kyi Center for Peace.
Previously she has worked as a national photo editor and photojournalist at the Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia and as a multimedia curator with The Straits Times in Singapore.
Project location: New Delhi, India
#my2020hero is an initiative by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation (CPB) to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of real-life heroes by sharing their stories.
