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Zoroastrians in Hong Kong, North America, London and Sydney are ready to remit funds totaling nearly $ 400,000 (Rs 2.92 crores) to assist community members adversely affected by the second wave of the pandemic in India. However the World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust (WZOT) and WZO Trust Funds (WZOTF) have not yet been permitted to receive the donations in India due to "a rather peculiar situation” created with the imposition of new rules under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) that mandate routing of overseas funds only via a new bank account approved by the government, noted WZOT chairman Dinshaw Tamboly.
Looking at reports and news clips from India, the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) issued an appeal for donations dated April 27, 2021 stating, "From high rates of spread to a new Indian variant strain, the situation is dire. We are seeing a groundswell of genuine interest from folks looking to donate, particularly for our Zoroastrian Parsi-Irani populations across (Bombay), rural Maharashtra and Gujarat as well as other locations in need.” FEZANA planned to work in collaboration with WZOTF as also other Zoroastrian organizations in need. "We wish our brothers and sisters in India safe outcomes and a quick turnaround from this truly dangerous virus, and are pleased to see the US administration heed the plea from Adar Poonawalla (chief executive officer of the Serum Institute of India) and the rest of the world to accelerate the export of material required to mass produce Covid-19 vaccines,” noted the FEZANA communiqué.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A simultaneous appeal for help was issued by WZO US Region. An email from the Zoroastrian Society of Ontario on May 14 noted, "We can help our fellow community members in their hour of need…during this terrible pandemic situation… Your donation will enable our fellow Zarathushtis mitigate and survive this disaster.”
Whilst awaiting the promised sums Tamboly noted, "We have so far managed to assist around 250 families by providing them lump sum support during the second wave (February to mid-May).” Having received their FCRA renewal on May 13, 2021, "We expect to make our accounts operable and receive substantial funds from our regular donors — Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hongkong, Canton and Macao, Pervin and Jal Shroff of Hong Kong, FEZANA, WZO US Region, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe, London, Australian Zoroastrian Association of Sydney, etc — which will enable us to accelerate reaching out to beneficiaries in distress.”
The WZOT has come to the aid of those who have lost their jobs or are receiving reduced salaries, small businesses that are currently floundering, farms, dairy farms and poultry farms that have been unable to deliver their produce to the markets, big dairies and food processors, individuals whose brick kilns have remained idle on account of lack of construction activities, and so on.
Even prior to FEZANA initiating a donation drive, the Ontario Zoroastrian Community Foundation (OZCF) announced their support of a nationwide project called "Love My Neighbour (LMN),” inspired by millennium kids and Canadian faith communities to increase Covid vaccines delivered throughout the developing world (see "Covid clouds,” Editorial Viewpoint, Parsiana, April 21-May 6, 2021). The LMN project aims to supply 38 million additional vaccines to neighbors living in lower income countries — that’s one for each grateful Canadian. In their newsletter of May 2021 there was reference to OZCF having formed a support page titled "Zoroastrians for Love My Neighbour.” Canadian Zoroastrians were hoping to raise $ 25,000 (Rs 15.10 lakhs) to help administer approximately 1,000 vaccinations to those in need. Each two-dose vaccination requires a donation of $ 25 (Rs 1,510) for a global neighbor. "We know delayed vaccinations in poor regions around the world puts everyone at risk of additional Covid mutations for years to come,” reminded the newsletter.
In Iran, severe lockdowns are in place in most cities, Mobed Mehraban Firouzgary responded to queries from Parsiana. He added, "It seems that we have not had many Zoroastrians passing away due to Covid (in recent times). Most of the deaths that I have heard of from friends have been due to old age or complications that existed before Covid.” Zoroastrians over 80 years of age have been administered Covid vaccines in Mazraeh Kalantar village in the Yazd province as reported on the online news portal berasad.com.