Support Indian Women and Children Fight Covid19

With the spread of Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdown in March 2020, STCI sprang into rapid action, and with the support of corporate grants, institutional donors, individuals and partners, has since engaged in the provision of relief material across locations in Maharashtra (Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Nanded, Latur, Osmanabad) and Delhi NCR. Over the last year, we have been able to distribute 24,554 grocery and hygiene kits and 3500 masks to our beneficiaries and their families, other vulnerable families in the communities, as well as administration like police personnel, to whom we distributed 550 PPE kits. 

We have also facilitated 444 Direct Cash Transfers, and have provided 50 batteries to children with hearing impairments, for their hearing aids. Realizing the arduous journey thousands of migrants were making back home, we distributed 6000 snack kits to those boarding trains to return to their native villages, and also contributed 1,20,000 water bottles to the Covid Relief Centre in Bandra East. We also ensured that women and girls in 29 shelters across Maharashtra received hygiene items and shelters themselves were given thermometers and sanitizing material. Through our efforts, we were able to positively impact over 3,00,000 beneficiaries last year alone. 

With the 2nd wave of the pandemic now upon us, Communities are anxious, scared, grieving. They are unsure about the duration of this pandemic and the restrictions, which directly impact livelihoods and have a domino effect on health and education of families as a whole. Livelihoods and food are major concerns. Schools are likely to stay shut. Mental health is strained with fake news and rumors. 

This year, STCI has launched a programme called #WaveOfHope, to combat the effects of the 2nd wave of the pandemic, which entails the following:

1. Basic relief kits to families who cannot avail government schemes. These kits could include grains, pulses, spices, sugar and oil and/or have hygiene material for women such as soap and sanitary napkins, and/ or have notebooks and toys for children to keep them engaged and connected.

2. Virtual Help Desks in communities, creating awareness and linkages with government schemes, providing accurate information regarding vaccination, ration availability, and working closely with the government to
give support and information to families of those infected with Covid. 

3. Mental wellness kits: Our teams recognize that human beings cannot exist in survival spaces perpetually. So we will share, online and offline, self-care material, activities, games, tips to manage difficult situations

with children, stories and entertainment material with families STCI will thus optimize its own effort, support the government to reach the last mile and ensure that our programme participants are at the center of all our work. Alongside we continue to work on our core education, skilling and protection programmes with vulnerable children. That work is important for long-term resilience, and to ensure that the next time there is a crisis, we are all better able to get through it together.

With generous support from donors like you, we aim to support thousands more in need.