You Are On Mute

For many who had 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 its members to use smartphones, create accounts, meet online, administer surveys, and rebuild their networks of solidarity and support.

By the end of March 2020, SEWA launched a digital financial literacy program linking beneficiaries with the formal financial system and access to digital cash transfers that would follow. They uploaded 14 multilingual e-modules and virtually trained 4,188 master trainers across India. By September 2020, 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, comprising daily assignments sent over WhatsApp. The children were encouraged to engage with their home environment, explore local histories, participate in household chores, complete school readings, and upcycle waste to make art. The program was called Samay no Samman—Respecting Time.

By March-end, SEWA also launched a telemedicine helpline that had been used by one-third of all surveyed households. 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, powered by 338 individual films running in sync across these 77 screens, 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.