Creating a Social Safety Net for Vulnerable Children

Children, who have lower chances of contracting the virus and very rarely exhibit severe COVID-19 symptoms, were not considered a priority group during this pandemic and thus treated like the adult population – pulled out of their regular environments almost overnight, made to stay at home and expected to migrate their entire lives online. For many children, this meant isolation, neglect and developmental deterioration. And these unintended consequences of the lockdown measures had a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable children, who already suffered from the burden of poverty.

At Shanti Ashram and ICPH, we began supporting the care of our children in their homes, in the warmth of their families and in community settings. The most vulnerable children in our service villages that come from mother headed families, families living with HIV, families cared for by grandparents in the absence of (living of deceased) parents, and families living in extreme poverty were prioritised. The focus of our initiative to create a social safety net for these children ranges from Food Security initiatives that provide them with rations and money through Direct Benefit Transfers to volunteering opportunities and internships that engage children cognitively and give them a productive and stimulating way to use their time.