Support for children of sex workers in COVID 19

“COVID 19 pandemic outbreak broken our lives in to a derogatory life style where I couldn’t send even my children to school. We have had one meal a day and starved for rest. In a helpless and pathetic situation, I had to take a loanof INR. 70000/= from the private money lender for a high interest rate which indeed out of my capacity to pay back” bemoaned Rani a sex worker from Jakkampudi colony, VIJAYAWADA, A.P. She got married at the age of 16 years in lieu of having love with a person who later left her away to her fate that is too after giving birth to two girl children.Taking advantage of her dilemma, she had been trapped in to prostitution made her to survive along with her innocent children.

Since COVID 19 first wave lockdown itself, there was a drastic downfall in her income levels as no customer turned out to be with her in the wake of preventive measures and protocols enforced by the state to control the spread. It became out of her choices to continue the education of her children where she couldn’t make them to have a morsel of food two time a day. Having depressed both physically and psychologically, she had almost given up hope to sustain her life but had to lookback for future of children who are at the ages of 7 and 4 studying in 4^th standard and UKG in a local private school. But of the bitter impact of COVID both the children have been stopped from education.

Rani expressed her cordial gratitude that, “I have been indebted to GlobalGiving for extending a great helping hand through HELP by supporting for school fee, books, bags and uniform for my children in addition to providing provisions for my household needs and also nutritious food for my children for 5 months”.

*Rani’s identity has been changed to protect her and to keep her safe.