Covid Orphans

The COVID 19 second wave is wreaking havoc in the lives of children and their families and children who were previously not vulnerable are also becoming more vulnerable either because they are infected or their caregivers / family is affected. Aarti For Girls has received calls for care and protection of such children for linkages to the State government for further rehabilitation in the states of Andhra Pradesh.

Swapna and Anu had a loving and caring family till the pandemic struck Jammalamadugu, a small town in Andhra Pradesh. They would go to a local english medium school, and have healthy food made by homemaker mom and grandma. One day, their father and grandfather came back from work as electricians and one after the other, both of them fell ill with COVID 19.The family ran pillar to post for help and spent the last of their savings on treatment, but to no end. Within two days of each other, both the breadwinners of the family, father and grandfather passed away.  The family is suddenly destitute with nowhere to go. This is just one case of the tragedy that COVID wrecked in rural India.

Aarti home has been taking care of children in need for the last 30 years and has a home for 120 children and has family based care for 565 children in and around kadapa. The children from Aarti, over the years are engineers, medical professionals, data scientists, entrepreneurs and teachers. Knowing about Aarti, Swapna and Anu’s mom approached Aarti home through the child helpline (1098) like many many others. With your help, we would like to reach 100 covid orphans and help them have a childhood and a better tomorrow

Implementation plan is a five step program to pull children out of the cycle of abuse, hunger and addiction while they continue to stay with their families.

Step 1: Our social workers identify at-risk children through the existing infrastructure of mandal support organizations, child helpline (1098).

Step 2: Their home environment is assessed for safety, security and support

Step 3: Parents are coached to enroll child in formal education with bridge schooling

Step 4: Enroll in School with the security of sanitation (oral and body), food, clothing, medical and psychological care and education, to and fro transportation. If the child is close to kadapa, this will be done through Aarti School. If not, the families will be provided financial support to children’s family for nutrition

Step 5: Monthly visits to family to check on the well being of the child and family

Stem 6: Continuous monitoring of children’s wellbeing based on UNICEF’s child rights

• (https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text-childrens-versi on)

We wish to bring childhood back to 100 children by supporting them for food, education and care from a social worker. We will prevent the children from being institutionalized by helping them live with their surviving parents and counselling them to achieve their dreams despite the tragedy that befell them.