Transform childhoods of 300 slum children in India

Many families were barely able to make it through the first wave of COVID-19. As they comprise daily and weekly-wage earners, every support they received from neighbours, civil society, and any coverage under government welfare efforts went a long way in offering them relief.

These households are struggling to survive the second wave at present. Resources are more depleted, more people are falling sick and more jobs have been lost for a longer period now. Samrin, a nineteen-year-old living in Behrampada, Bandra, shared her family’s experience of both lockdowns in a recent conversation.

Samrin lives with her family and both her parents lost their jobs during this lockdown. Her father is a scrap dealer, and sells food waste from market areas. However, with markets and other public places closed now, he is out of work.

 

By disposing the waste of fruit and vegetable vendors, he receives Rs 20. Now even that is not possible.

It is also difficult for Samrin’s father to continue working, she says, as he has difficulty in walking and frequent pain in his leg in recent years.

Last year during the lockdown, the family used their savings to get by, with some additional support from YUVA and the community. However, they were unable to pay rent and lost their security deposit. During this second lockdown, they have run out of their savings, and are once again behind on rent. Samrin shared how her father is worried about having to return to their village in Uttar Pradesh if he is not able to start working soon.

Samrin studied till the 9th grade, but was not able to continue her education after that because of the family’s financial constraints. Now, after being associated with community efforts facilitated by YUVA in the past 1.5 years, she is again thinking of completing the 10th grade. However, her plans were postponed due to the pandemic. She also had to take up some domestic work for a month to help the family’s income. She is very concerned about her father and wants to help him in whatever way she can.

 

I have stopped thinking about studies right now. I am just thinking that if I find a good job I will be able to help my father.

Samrin has also been an active and enthusiastic youth volunteer in many community events organised by YUVA and has been working on several issues in the community, like sexual harassment, sanitation and garbage management, along with other young people. She is currently looking forward to helping spread more information about the vaccine through the vaccine help desk being set up by YUVA and youth volunteers in Behrampada. People in the community, including Samrin’s parents are hesitant to take the vaccine. Samrin hopes her work with the community will help fight these fears and dispel the myths formed through rumours and misinformation.

This is  a part of series of interviews we are conducting with community members, to bring to light the onground situation during the second wave of COVID-19.

Contributed by Niyoshi Parekh and Taslim Khan