When COVID closed India, these women opened their hearts — and wallets

Many of the women in Sangeeta Siwan's Mumbai neighborhood lost their jobs during the pandemic, but they banded together to help each other through the lockdowns. From left to right: Kalawanti Yadav, Sageeta Wadule, Sangeeta Pandey and Ambika Kalshetty. (Ruchi Kumar)

MUMBAI, India – The first time Sangeeta Siwan, a 45-year-old day laborer from India, learned about COVID-19 was when her employer at the packaging factory told her they would be temporarily closing business.

"Everything was shutting down ... the country was shutting down. I didn't even know that was possible," she said.