We need to focus on providing protection, education, health and psycho-social assistance to children in a structured and professional manner, says Sumanta Kar
The pandemic and the lockdown restrictions have not only disrupted the education of the children but have also affected their psychological health. It is important to keep a check on thousands of children who are without parental care or at the risk of abandonment.
The SOS Children’s Villages of India have gathered knowledge about the emotional distress and the boredom that children from marginalised communities are going through everyday.
After accessing the problems here are some of the ways they shared to address the crisis:
Child Safeguarding
We need to focus on providing care, education, health, and psycho-social well-being of children in a structured and professional manner. A comprehensive policy, outlining guidelines that focussed on awareness, prevention, reporting and responding was developed, communicated, and implemented across their organisations. An Epidemic Response Team (ERT) was also constituted for ground level execution and monitoring.
To safeguard the safety of the children in the villages, it is important to ensure that essential supplies, hygiene kits (comprising tissue papers, liquid soaps, and hand sanitisers), and medicines are always stocked in the villages. Masks and hand sanitisers should also be distributed.
It is also important to comply with all health directives from the government and health organisations. Doctors from government hospitals should periodically conduct COVID-19 awareness classes to mothers in villages, to equip them to meet the physical and emotional needs of the children right from infancy to adulthood.
For their community outreach programme, they provided materials and services to over 15,000 children during the lockdown with a daily average reach of 30-40 children virtually and wherever possible, through home visits. It helped them to better assess their well-being and identify any child safeguarding issues. Supporting #BreakTheChain campaign, SOS India mentors Self Help Group leaders to help them spread awareness about COVID-19. They also created regional language posters and content to increase awareness about COVID-19 in the communities.
Psychological well-being
The biggest challenge has been to keep the children in good mental health amid lockdown and school closures. Some of the ways that have proved effective in relieving their stress include engaging children in activities that tap their creative talents, coupled with fun-filled physical activities.
We must encourage children to make posters for promoting the do’s and don’ts for creating awareness about COVID-19. Children should involve themselves in yoga and meditation. Some should explore their artistic talents, some indulge in baking and a few can started gardening and vegetable farming as a hobby. There should be activities such as games, drama, reading, cleaning up of physical spaces, and community volunteering.
Several SOS Villages have come up with ways of continuing the tradition of evening prayer, while maintaining social distancing. In Puducherry, a couple of children not only lead the morning prayers but also read out the news and engage everyone in a quick round of trivia. A classical dance performed by children of Nagapattinam on COVID-19 preventive measures, was telecast by a TV channel in Tamil Nadu recently. The performance initiated by the children themselves, was hugely appreciated by viewers. COVID has brought forward many painters, singers, actors, orators and writers amongst the children.
Under the guidance of animators and co-workers, outreached children are engaged in several activities to ‘Stay safe by staying at home’ by pursuing their hobbies along with usual academic routine. Bal Panchayat members have championed promoting preventive messages by developing posters, stickers and pasting these in public spaces, making and sharing videos to demonstrate social distancing as well as handwashing.
It is crucial for children and young adults to look forward to a bright future without having any great concerns or anxiety, while being safe and healthy.
(The writer is Senior Deputy National Director, SOS Children’s Villages India.)