Support education for vulnerable children (India)

Name of Project: Impart computer literacy to poor children in India

Project Period: Ongoing

Reporting Period: 01^st April to 30^th June 2020

Specific Objectives of the Project:

• To improve access to computers
• To increase computer literacy of the children
• To deliver quality computer education

Challenges:

• Lockdown imposed by the government caused the loss of daily jobs
• Computer centers remained closed
• Basic necessities became the desperate needs of our beneficiaries

Sahaara believes that every person has a dream, and our work centers around ensuring that marginalized persons can articulate and work towards achieving their dream. Children living in Mumbai juvenile homes are one of the most marginalized children in Mumbai. Institutionalized, these children are most often from highly poverty-stricken families.

However, when the lockdown was announced this year to reduce the spread of the COVID pandemic, all computer centers have remained shut ever since. Many of these families lost their livelihoods during the lockdown. While computer education was stalled during this period, Sahaara continued with emergency food and hygiene relief during the period of the lockdown.

Hanging by a thread

Vijay* is an ex-student of the Chembur Children’s Home. He is now a college student in his final year of graduation, majoring in Arts. His father died when he was young. His mother worked as a maid to support the family and Vijay worked part-time as a stand-by security guard to supplement the family income.

In March 2020, the Prime Minister ordered a National Lockdown to curb the effect of the COVID pandemic. While this helped reduce the rate of the spread of the virus, a new challenge began, and various restrictions were imposed on labor. Many daily wage workers lost their livelihood during this time and became desperate for even a single meal a day. As a result of these circumstances, since both Vijay and his mother were daily wage workers, they lost their jobs.  Their situation devastated them as Vijay could not understand how he could support his mother and his two younger siblings.

Out of sheer desperation, Vijay looked for any job he could get.  He got a job as an assistant in a grocery shop where he was given work for an hour or two every day.  The income was negligible, but it was better than nothing. When Sahaara made a routine call to Vijay to enquire about his condition, we heard about their plight. We were moved by the fact that even in these difficult times, Vijay had taken it upon himself to do something about it. Sahaara decided to help the family with our emergency family relief with ration and hygiene supplies.  This was a timely help which enabled them to tide over the difficult period of the Lockdown which stretched past June.

*Name changed to protect the beneficiary’s identity.

Links:

• Website