Help prevent sexual abuse of children in India

The last few months have been trying as well as filled with opportunities to extend our support to those affected most by Covid-19. Recognizing the need to promptly reach out to children who lost a single or both parents to the pandemic, we have partnered with Maharashtra's Women & Child Development (WCD) Department to provide Grief Counselling services to 2,600 children in 3 districts of Maharashtra. This is difficult work and our team of counsellors have been feeling overwhelmed hearing the stories of loss, grief and pain, but this is important work and we have resolved to do it.

We have also partnered with the Ministry of Education to telecast our Personal Safety Courses for 8 to 10-year-olds and 11 to 13-year-olds on the SWAYAM PRABHA channels of Doordarshan, an initiative under the PM E-Vidya programme. Doordarshan reaches 35-40 million households pan-India. We are excited that we are able to reach children at the last mile who will be empowered with Personal Safety Education.

We are pleased to announce the 3rd edition of Child Safety Week (CSW), from 14th to 20th November 2021. In collaboration with over 180 partners today, key Personal Safety messages will be amplified so that our children have the knowledge and skills to recognize and respond to unsafe situations and touches. Here is the campaign concept note and action points for CSW 2021. We will share a social media tool-kit closer to the event, BUT we would love you to devise your own digital activities around the theme #NowIsTheTime. We are more than happy to collaborate as well as promote it!

Last but not least, Arpan was recognised by the World Economic Forum and COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs as one of India's Top 50 COVID-19 Last Mile Responders to the pandemic. This meant our work has been instrumental in providing critical support to over 171 million people on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis in India, jointly with 49 other organisations and 12 partnerships. We contributed towards essential grocery kits for families of children we work with in schools who have been affected as a result of extended lock-downs, loss of jobs and mobility restrictions. Over 12,200 units of grocery kits (184 tons/184,000 kg of groceries) has reached over 61,000 beneficiaries residing in the most marginalized communities in Mumbai and Thane. As the second wave hit the city, we also provided oxygen concentrators to Government and private hospitals in partnership with Project Mumbai.

Arpan remains committed to being in the frontline of India's fight against the pandemic and continues to work towards supporting people affected by it, along with furthering our work on the prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. Glad to have you on this journey with us.