Lockdown Initiatives in Pune

Covid-19 Lockdown  Initiatives in Pune

A Study by ARC Network, Pune

November 20, 2020

Introduction -

    The Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020 and the subsequent lockdown of all social activities have resulted into an almost non-repairable damage to the lives of people from all age groups, across all sections of the society. However, the communities at the bottom of the pyramid had to suffer a lot more than the others with at least some privileges. Various studies have revealed that many of the child rights were specifically compromised during the pandemic and lockdown situation across the country. Education, health, protection, and participation of children were largely affected. The central, state, and local governments are trying out various methods of minimizing the damage and running the show against all odds. These efforts are largely supplemented by Non Governmental Organizations helping the needy and underprivileged communities survive and advance through the unprecedented situation.

The Action for the Rights of the Child - ARC Network from Pune decided to collect information about such activities undertaken by its member organizations working in and around the city of Pune. This document presents an overview of various measures initiated by the grass root NGOs to handle the pandemic and lockdown situation, with the aim of minimizing the adverse effects on the children in particular. The insights provided herewith can benefit and inspire other social organizations as well as the Government agencies.

Demographics -

    NGOs like Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra, Work for Equality, URMEE, Maher Sanstha, Aakar Foundation, The Society for Door Step Schools, New Vision, Manoday Vyasanmukti Sanstha, Identity Foundation, and Tara Mobile Creches Pune shared the inputs about their activities during the lockdown period. These NGOs work in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation as well as rural areas around Pune city. They work for education, counseling, health, protection, and participation of children. A list of activities conducted during this period is provided below -

(1) Books distribution;    (2) Mobile phone donation;

(3) Ration distribution;    (4) Health and hygiene awareness;

(5) Creative activities for children;

(6) Family survey;        (7) Online classes;    (8) Offline classes;

(9) Training and Capacity building of other NGOs, Government teachers, etc.

Most of these activities were carried out     through the regular employees of these NGOs. Volunteer participation was reported to be nominal, mostly because of the unpredictable challenges faced by the communities and the NGOs. Only experienced and trustworthy social workers could reach out to the needy people, especially children from the underprivileged communities during this period.

Innovative Initiatives During Lockdown -

Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary solutions! The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown situation posed some never-seen-before problems, which needed to be handled in an innovative way. For example, all the community-level classes and personal interactions with the children were abruptly halted in the month of March 2020. How could the NGOs deliver education, awareness, and physical resources if they were not allowed to meet the children in person? Very few of the social workers had even imagined about such a situation before. However, with the use of technology and with a strong urge to support and protect the children at any cost, the NGOs soon came up with various innovative programmes as listed below.

(1) The NGO Work for Equality organized online sessions for consecutive 100 days during the lockdown period. The topics covered gender equality, environment, superstitions, storytelling, skill development programmes, etc. The NGO also published an e-book, documenting the learning experience of the children during this period.

    (2) The NGO URMEE prepared worksheets based on the curriculum and distributed among the children when the schools were closed due to lockdown. They also distributed workbooks and activity kits among the children. Videos about physical exercises were circulated among the children through WhatsApp. Online dance and drawing classes were organized for children to continue pursuing their interests despite the lockdown situation. Parent meetings were held through Google Meet. Online training programmes on Mathematics and English were organized for the teachers. Posters and videos regarding health and hygiene awareness were circulated through social media.

    (3) The Society for Door Step Schools identified and developed resources within the community as Shikshan Mitra. Active members from the community were trained on conducting survey, helping in school enrollment, and teaching the children during the lockdown period.

    (4) The NGO New Vision identified the gap between online classes and unavailability of smartphones within the communities. They arranged for audio lessons instead of video sessions, making it possible for the children with basic phones to access the content and continue learning during the lockdown period.

    (5) The NGO Identity Foundation conducted activities for children between 3 and 6 years age, through WhatsApp groups of teachers and parents. They also helped parents in planning their children’s education at home during the lockdown period.

With restrictions on physical movement even within the city, reaching out to the children was the biggest challenge before these NGOs. Adapting to the situation, they learnt and utilized following tools for reaching out to a large number of children during this period.

(1) WhatsApp Messages and Groups;   

(2) YouTube Videos prepared by the organization or already available online;

(3) Zoom and Google Meet Platforms for Online Meetings and Classes;

(4) Radio and Newspaper for Mass Communication and Awareness;

(5) Audio-Visual Content prepared by the Organization.

Conclusion -

With minimum volunteer participation and maximum work by paid staff members, the NGOs faced a great challenge of arranging funds for these non-regular projects during the lockdown period. Some of the initiatives started during the lockdown period will reportedly be continued in the future. Most of these activities and resources were managed through regular project funding, one-time donations, donations in kind, and technical support from various resource persons. Some of the initiatives with a good scope of scaling across the district or state can be taken up by the concerned Government departments, for intermediate implementation or as ongoing projects.

The NGOs also reported how they could not achieve all of their objectives despite tremendous efforts by their staff members and management teams. Especially, since mobile phones were the only tool to connect with the community children, the social workers could not get in touch with those who could not recharge their phones or did not have access to internet and/or smartphones. These children missed on several activities and communication during the lockdown period. Also, most of the regular NGO projects were halted, creating the need for sustainable funding provisions through network efforts or Government support.

With the lockdown restrictions being lifted phase-wise, we can hope for a faster recovery to normalcy through the combined efforts by the Government and the social organizations working for children in this area. Also, long-term provisions are needed to handle similar situations in the future. Children’s right to education, health, protection, and participation must not be compromised at any cost. All the concerned systems and resources need to be updated, strengthened, and encouraged to ensure this.

The Action for the Rights of the Child

ARC Network, Pune

Contact: 7066138138

arcpune09@gmail.com

Vulnerable Children and Pandemic

Press Note

Situation of Vulnerable Children during COVID-19 Pandemic

(Survey Report)

October 06, 2020

Closure of educational institutions carries an adverse impact on the children who are already facing numerous challenges in getting education or who are more likely to fall out of the main stream. These include children with special needs, students from remote areas, children of migrant workers, or children from families whose income has discontinued due to loss or uncertainty of employment. The COVID-19 pandemic has restricted or discontinued education of many children, or they might lag behind other children in studies due to this situation. As a result, a large number of children might remain out of the main stream of education even after normalcy is restored. Most of these out-of-school children are likely to fall into the trap of child labour.

We need to take a stock of the situation in order to address the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. What exactly are the children from various age groups doing during this period? Are they still in the main stream of education or have they fallen out, for the time being or permanently? Are they mentally preparing themselves to stop education and start working in order to financially support their families facing severe economic challenges? The Government has initiated certain measures for retaining these children in the main stream of education. Are these efforts reaching out to them? Are these children or their parents aware of the Government policies being designed in this direction? A survey was conducted through an online questionnaire to understand all of this.

This survey was organised by ARC (Action for the Rights of the Children) Network, Pune. NGOs working in and around the city of Pune, such as - Swadhar, Door Step School, Tara Mobile Crèches, New Vision, Nirman, Green Tara Foundation, Bhartiya Samaj Seva Kendra, India Sponsorship Committee, Save The Children, Kagad Kach Patra Kashtkari Panchayat, Identity Foundation, etc. facilitated the survey by approaching the children and their parents at the community level, for collecting the necessary information.

This survey was aimed at understanding whether the vulnerable children in the city are aware of COVID-19 or not; understanding what type of work and situation they are into; knowing the problems and needs of these children during this period. Questions were framed around the types of jobs taken up by these children during the lockdown period, status of their education, communication within the family, fulfilment of basic needs, COVID-19 prevention tools, change in the behaviour of the parents after getting stuck at the home, expectations from the Government and NGOs regarding education, food and water, financial security of the parents, current employment status, awareness about the initiatives towards education of the children, awareness about latest educational tools, and preparedness to face the situation once the lockdown is lifted. A total of 156 boys and girls below 20 years of age participated in this survey.

While everybody everywhere is worried about the COVID-19 pandemic, the children were found to be somewhat aware of the ongoing fight against the Coronavirus and the precautionary measures to be taken, thanks to the awareness created by the media and the NGOs. However, 20 percent of the children responding to the survey expressed the fear of being contracted with the Coronavirus. The children were also found to be worried about when this Coronavirus threat would go away. It was observed that this Coronavirus and the subsequent situation are affecting the mental growth of the children. The children are stuck at home for a long time, unsure of when they will be able to meet their friends again, whether or not their parents will remain safe from the spread of the Coronavirus, whether or not they will be going to school again, etc.

It was observed that the girls had to face many problems regarding personal hygiene during their menstrual cycle. While answering the questions asked in this regard, 37 percent girls informed that they were not using sanitary pads during periods. Either they could not afford the sanitary pads or these pads were not easily available for them. Also, a substantial number of girls mentioned that they were using a piece of cloth as a substitute to the sanitary pad. This is a serious issue related to the personal hygiene of the girls, which needs to be addressed by ensuring widespread availability of the sanitary pads at an affordable price.

Responding to the survey, 68 percent children informed that they were working at home or outside during the lockdown period. A substantial number of girls were found to be helping in the household chores during this period.

22 percent children mentioned that they did not study during the lockdown period. The reasons were told as no time for study, unavailability of smartphones, lack of guidance about what to study, and feeling bored to study since the schools are closed. In this regard, the response to the Government initiatives for education was not very positive. Almost 67 percent children informed that they did not receive any educational support from their schools. Similar response was recorded for the Government policy about online education. Almost 69 percent children responded that they were not aware of the educational app launched by the Government. 54 percent of the children who knew about such an app mentioned that they could not use this app on their own and needed support from someone else. 55 percent of them informed that they did not understand the content delivered through this educational app. Around 72 percent children reported that they did not watch the educational programmes on the television. 46 percent of the children who watched these programmes mentioned that they did not understand the content of the programmes.

Overall, the educational future of the children seems to be in trouble during the lockdown period. It is challenging to provide educational support through mobile phones and television to all those children who are struggling to get two meals a day. Even if mobile phones and television sets are available, it must be checked whether or not the content on the educational app is designed considering comprehension capacity of every child, whether all the children are able to understand the content or not, whether the online learning process runs smoothly for every child or not. Looking at the responses to the survey questions in this regard, it appears that the Government needs to rethink about their online education policy.

Discontinuation of the supply of Mid-day Meal from the schools has resulted into nutrition related problems for the children. The survey has revealed that around 76 percent children did not receive the Mid-day Meal during this period.

The parents and their children are stuck at home for the entire day during the lockdown period, which seems to have increased the communication among family members. 99 percent children mentioned that the mode of communication had shifted from mobile phones to in person dialogue. The increased communication between children and their parents or among the siblings can be seen as a positive change for the entire family during this period.

All the family members were stuck at home during the lockdown period, which seems to have impacted the domestic environment. Around 72 percent children informed that they had a pleasant environment at home, while 22 percent mentioned that the situation at home was just okay. 6 percent of the respondents informed that they were living in a stressful domestic environment during this period.

96 percent of the children informed that they received two meals a day through various sources during the lockdown period. 61 percent children mentioned that they had to use the public toilets and common water sources, which added to the fear about Coronavirus infection. 36 percent children reported that the public toilets were not cleaned on a daily basis.

Adults as well as the children are expecting concrete support from the Government during these critical times of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdown. The news stories delivered by the media seem to influence the thoughts of all of them. The children and their parents feel insecure about the health services, food and grain supply, Coronavirus vaccine, employment opportunities, future of their education and career, etc. Explicit expectations from the Government were voiced by all of them.

Overall, the children were found during this survey to be worried and scared about the lockdown and spread of the Coronavirus, due to the corresponding news stories being constantly delivered through the media as well as various messages being circulated through the social media, and the impact of the pandemic on people from all sections of the society. Serious efforts are necessary to bring children out of this notion of worry and fear. The member organizations of Action for the Rights of the Children - ARC - hope that effective measures can be implemented to secure the educational, mental, physical future of the vulnerable children, if the facts revealed through this survey are conveyed to the concerned Government agencies and general public immediately.

For more information, please contact -

Sushant 7066138138

About UNCRC

The ‘United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child’ known as UNCRC or CRC, is an important agreement by countries who have promised to protect children’s rights. UNCRC explains who should be called a child, what all are their rights, and what are the responsibilities of respective governments. All the rights are connected, they are all equally important and they cannot be taken away from children.

Exactly 30 years ago, on 20 November 1989, world leaders came together and made a historic commitment to the world’s children. They made a promise to every child. The promise of protecting and fulfilling their rights, by adopting an international legal framework – the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

What does UNCRC tell us? That the children are not just objects who belong to their parents and for whom decisions are made. Also, the children cannot be considered just adults in training. Rather, they are human beings and individuals with their own rights. The Convention says childhood is separate from adulthood, and lasts until 18 years of age. Childhood is a special, protected time, in which children must be allowed to grow, learn, play, develop and flourish with dignity.

UNCRC Articles:

 

1. Definition of a child: any person under the age of 18.

2. No discrimination: on the basis of identity, location, language, religion, thoughts, looks, gender, disability, financial condition, family background, family beliefs and family occupation. No child should be treated unfairly for any reason.

3. Best interests of the child: While making decisions, adults and governments should think about how their decisions will affect children.

4. Making rights real: Governments must ensure that every child in their countries can enjoy all the rights in this Convention.

5. Family guidance as children develop: Governments should let families and communities guide their children about using their rights in the best way.

6. Life survival and development: Every child has the right to be alive. Governments must make sure that children survive and develop in the best possible way.

7. Name and nationality: Children must be registered when they are born and given a name which is officially recognized by the government. Children must have a nationality (belong to a country).

8. Identity: Children have the right to their own identity – an official record of who they are which includes their name, nationality and family relations.

9. Keeping families together: Children should not be separated from their parents unless they are not being properly looked after.

10. Contact with parents across countries: For children and parents living in different countries, governments must let them travel to stay in contact and be together.

11. Protection from kidnapping: Governments must stop children being taken out of the country when this is against the law.

12. Respect for children's views: Children have the right to give their opinions freely on issues affecting them. Adults should listen and take children seriously.

13. Sharing thoughts freely: Children have the right to share freely with others what they learn, think and feel.

14. Freedom of thought and religion: Children can choose their own thoughts, opinions and religion.

15. Setting up or joining groups: Children can join or set up groups or organisations, and they can meet with others.

16. Protection of privacy: Every child has the right to privacy.

17. Access to information: Children have the right to get information from the Internet, radio, television, newspapers, books and other sources.

18. Responsibility of parents: Parents and guardians should always consider what is best for that child. Governments should help them.

19. Protection from violence: Governments must protect children from violence, abuse and being neglected by anyone who looks after them.

20. Children without families: Every child who cannot be looked after by their own family has the right to be looked after properly and with respect by other people.

21. Children who are adopted: The most important thing for adopted children is to do what is best for them.

22. Refugee children: Children moving to another country as refugees should get help and protection and have the same rights as children born in that country.

23. Children with disabilities: Governments should remove all obstacles to become independent and to participate actively in the community.

24. Health, water, food, environment: Children have the right to the best health care, clean water, healthy food and a clean and safe environment.

25. Review of a child's placement: Every child placed somewhere away from home, for care, protection or health, should have their situation checked regularly to see if this is still the best place for the child to be.

26. Social and economic help: Governments should provide money or other support to help children from poor families.

27. Food, clothing, a safe home: Children have the right to food, clothing and a safe place to live.

28. Access to education: Every child has the right to an education. Primary education should be free. Secondary and higher education should be available to every child.

29. Aims of education: Children’s education should help them fully develop their personalities, talents and abilities.

30. Minority culture, language and religion: Children have the right to use their own language, culture and religion, even if in a minority.

31. Rest, play, culture, arts: Every child has the right to rest, relax, play and to take part in cultural and creative activities.

32. Protection from harmful work: Children have the right to be protected from doing work that is dangerous or bad for their education, health or development.

33. Protection from harmful drugs: Governments must protect children from taking, making, carrying or selling harmful drugs.

34. Protection from sexual abuse: The government should protect children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.

35. Prevention of sale and trafficking: Governments must make sure that children are not kidnapped or sold.

36. Protection from exploitation: Children have the right to be protected from all kinds of exploitation.

37. Children in detention: Children accused of breaking the law should not be killed, tortured, treated cruelly, put in prison forever, or put in prison with adults.

38. Protection in war: Children have the right to be protected during war. 

39. Recovery and reintegration: Children have the right to get help if they have been hurt, neglected, treated badly or affected by war, to get back their health and dignity.

40. Children who break the law: Children accused of breaking the law have the right to legal help and fair treatment.

41. Best law for children applies: If the laws of a country protect children’s rights better than this Convention, then those laws should be used.

42. Everyone must know children's rights: Governments should actively tell all the children and adults about this Convention and children’s rights.

43. How the Convention works (43 to 54): These articles explain how governments, the United Nations – including the Committee on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF - and other organisations work to make sure all children enjoy all their rights.

Looking back at last 30 years:

UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. It has inspired governments to change laws and policies and make investments towards best health care and nutrition for every child. The convention has caused stronger safeguards to protect children from violence and exploitation. It has also enabled more children to have their voices heard and participate in their societies.

Despite this progress, UNCRC is still not fully implemented or widely known and understood. Millions of children continue to suffer violations of their rights when they are denied adequate health care, nutrition, education and protection from violence. Childhoods continue to be cut short when children are forced to leave school, do hazardous work, get married, fight in wars or are locked up in adult prisons.

And global changes, like the rise of digital technology, environmental change, prolonged conflict and mass migration are completely changing childhood. Today’s children face new threats to their rights, but they also have new opportunities to realize their rights.

Over the past 30 years, children’s lives have been transformed globally in following ways:

• More than 50% reduction in deaths of children under 5 since 1990;

• Almost 50% reduction in the proportion of undernourished children since 1990;

• More people have cleaner drinking water today than in 1990.

At the same time, following threats are still affecting the childhood across the globe:

• 26.2 Crore children and youth are out of school;

• 65 Crore girls and women were married under 18 years of age;

• By 2040, around 25% of the children will live in areas with extremely limited water resources.

UNCRC and India:

India ratified UNCRC on 11 December 1992, agreeing in principles all articles except with certain reservations on issues relating to child labour.

In India, there is a law preventing children under the age of 18 from working, but there is no outright ban on child labour. The practice of employing children below 18 is generally permitted in most industries except those deemed "hazardous". Although a law in October 2006 banned child labour in hotels, restaurants, and as domestic servants, there continues to be high demand for children as hired help in the home. Current estimates of the number of child labourers in the country, even from the government's conservative estimate, indicate 40 Lakh children under 14 years of age.

In 2016, the Child and Adolescent Labour (Amendment) Act was introduced, which prohibited economic employment of children under the age of 14 years, and prohibited employment of adolescents (14-17 years of age) in hazardous occupations. Few exceptions exist in case of children under 14 years, such as helping in the family enterprise, and participating in the entertainment industry, provided that it doesn't harm their school education, and is not in between 7 pm to 8 am.

Apart from disagreement on child labour, Indian government has also failed during last 30 years, on the part of ensuring that every child in the country enjoys the rights mentioned in UNCRC such as, no discrimination, life survival and development, respect for their views, freedom of thought and religion, protection of privacy, access to education and information, protection from violence, harmful work, sexual abuse, and exploitation, to name a few. It becomes the responsibility of the parents, guardians, and the conscious members of civil society to raise the voice on behalf of children, against non compliance to UNCRC rights of the children.

About ARC Network

Several Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and groups of aware citizens across the world have been raising the voice for children to get their globally accepted rights. Action for the Rights of the Child (ARC) is one such forum of NGOs from Pune, working to ensure that children get their right to education and care, and they are protected from violence, harmful work, sexual abuse, and exploitation.

A consultation on the UNCRC was held in Pune in March 1991. This resulted in the formation of ARC, which now consists of member organisations, including the agencies involved with the street child, the working child, the child in the city slums and the institutionalised child. ARC is trying to initiate change in the situation of children in especially difficult circumstances, migrant children, child beggars and other vulnerable children, through dialogue, workshops, petitions, and awareness campaigns.

History:

Action for the Rights of the Child (ARC) was set up in 1991 to bring together NGOs, funding agencies, government departments and citizens involved in working with children from the marginalised sections of society in the city of Pune. ARC was conceived as an advocacy network for child rights. The initial agenda of the network was to maintain pressure on the government of India for the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The government ratified UNCRC in the year 1992. Since then, ARC has been actively providing voice to the issues related to child labour, child education, child protection, and child participation, for the children in Pune.

ARC was also one of the founding members of the nation-wide Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL) which has had a large role to play in shaping policy and legislation around child labour.

ARC Focus Areas

    ARC is focused on issues related to child labour, child education, child protection, and child participation. ARC tries to resolve the issues through networking of NGOs in the city, advocacy with the concerned government departments, and facilitating research and documentation for assessment of the situation and finding solutions to the issues.