Covid-19 response
During the extension of the lockdown, those already poor became even poorer through not being able to provide for their families anymore. While schools have been closed indefinitely, the risks of child labour and child marriages are growing.
This project implemented in 181 village panchayats in Gingee taluk aims to minimize the spread of covid-19 while focusing on securing children’s rights and mobilising existing community groups.
Partner in India
CECOWOR
Centre for Coordination of voluntary Works and Research
CECOWOR was founded in 1987 and seeks to empower marginalised peoples like lower-castes, gypsies, tribal people and women by making them aware of their rights and of the importance of education as a key to long-term change. CECOWOR is situated a few hundred kilometres south of Chennai.
Project objectives
The project has two big objectives. The first one focuses on mobilising communities to change behaviour and thereby minimising the spread of covid-19. At the same time, children’s rights are secured with a focus on education.
An overload of information characterised by rumours and myths leave the villagers confused about how to deal with the virus. Correct and simple information on how to minimise the spread of covid-19 is needed to change behaviour without the villagers feeling like they are compromising their family’s health.
> target 1.5
> target 3.3
> target 10.2
Protect the children
Children are those hardest hit by the corona crisis. When families fall deeper into poverty, the children are either sent to work or forced into marriages. While the schools are closed indefinitely, children have already missed more than 10 months of schooling, which increases the learning gap between the rich and the poor. Therefore, another focus of this project is to keep parents and children motivated to continue schooling during the corona crisis.
“We cannot afford to stay home”
Saahi and her husband belong to the gypsy family. They have three children aged seven, three and one year(s). The husband is suffering from kidney failure. He cannot go out for work but has to visit the hospital every week to receive dialysis. The mother had been feeding the family on a small income that she made through street vending. The family did not have much to eat, but they were able to survive on a daily basis. The unexpected lockdown has. become a serious challenge in their lives. Saahi is especially worried about her children and her sick husband. Instead of corona, she fears that hunger will kill her family.
“The general advice is to stay in the house and wash our hands. But how can we afford just to sit at home waiting for the pandemic to be over? What answer do we have for our children if they ask for food?”