By NISHA MALAWAT | Project Leader
EDUCATE 1000 CHILDREN ….ENSURE THEIR FUTURE (37148)
Project Report– COVID 19 Pandemic
Dear Donors,
COVID 19 pandemic has thrown lives out of gear for each one of us. But the impact has been disproportionately felt by those from already disadvantaged communities. Children are the worst affected in these communities. All aspects of their life have taken a hit—their protection, nutrition as well as education. The socio-economic distress caused by the pandemic has made matters worst for children living in poverty. These include those at risk of child labour, early marriage, and trafficking, children with special needs, and those in care institutions. These children are being exposed to increased exploitation and abuse by their parents and community. With the lockdown restricting their mobility and outdoor recreational activities, having to stay confined within deplorable housing conditions has led to increased levels of anxiety among them, adversely impacting their mental health. For homeless and street children too, the pandemic has brought increased vulnerabilities. The closure of schools, loss of livelihood of parents, and absence of any safety nets have pushed these into child labour. Children are supporting their parents in many ways like carpentry work, plumbing work, painting work, etc. There is an increase of child marriages and adolescent pregnancies. Increased levels of risks are being reported among these vulnerable children in the current times. With several families engaged in the informal sector losing their livelihoods, children in the family have also been deprived of basic nutrition. The closure of schools affected the mid-day meals which used to be a source of food and nutritional security for many children and even their parents. This scenario has, therefore, aggravated food insecurity and led to nutritional deficiency among children, which is adversely affecting their health and physical and mental development. The pandemic, as we know, has hugely disrupted the schooling system for children since March. School closures have given way to the idea of online education. In the community, digital tools like smartphones, availability of the internet are not available for some. Moreover, access to digital tools is increasing certain risks. For instance, children, especially girls, are becoming more vulnerable to cyber-bullying and sexual exploitation as their parents lack adequate knowledge on how to supervise children while using the internet.
Needless to say, the ongoing pandemic has adversely impacted the overall well-being and growth of children, affecting their health, nutrition, education, personality development, and in the longer run, even their future livelihood prospects. The economic security of parents has been critical to ensuring families’ resilience in the aftermath of any disaster, including ensuring the care and protection of children. Hence, the need to bring these vulnerable families out of the circle of poverty cannot be ignored. We are really proud to be associated with Global Giving Team for the support they are rendering to Abhilasha Foundation. We Distributed food grains to the daily wagers which included food grains, spices, oil, potatoes, onions, sugar, salt, spices, chocolates, and biscuits to the migrant children and daily wage worker's families. Abhilasha Foundation team is committed even during this difficult time to continue to serve the daily wager, migrant workers, auto-rickshaw drivers, tribals, poor, needy, physically challenged people, and children.
Thanks and best regards,
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