Crisis volunteering during COVID-19 pandemic in India: youth responds to health and human rights crisis

Purpose This study aims to explore the experiences of individuals in India who acted as informal crisis volunteers during the peak of the deadliest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory, qualitative design was used, and data gathered via a qualitative survey in three focus areas, namely, motivation, challenges and coping mechanisms. The sample (n = 112) comprised individuals (mean age = 21.89 years) whose volunteering efforts during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were extended as part of volunteer groups or individually, online or offline, for minimum of 10 consecutive days to four months. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis (Mayring, 2000) were used to analyze the data. Findings Most of the participants reported being inspired by social media activism to become crisis volunteers themselves. They also spoke of several human rights violations unfolding around them, namely, people denied right to health (availability and accessibility), rampant discrimination of various kinds and other systemic failures in crisis response by government bodies. Several reported undergoing extreme mental duress during the process, experiencing or witnessing harassment and dealing with corruption. A sense of collective identity and opportunities to engage in collective sense making and collective catharsis with fellow volunteers were reported as the most helpful coping mechanism. Originality/value Very little is known about the experience of informal crisis volunteers who assisted the public health system in India in various capacities during the pandemic. This paper explores those experiences, sheds light on various human rights violations that took place during the time and provides a glimpse into the potential of technology and social media in organized altruistic efforts.