We are fortunate that the second wave of coronavirus in India has started going down. However, it is not over. The virus is still new for experts. It is unpredictable and we cannot be sure what the future holds. We need to strengthen COVID care centres and government hospitals. We must be prepared for a possible rise in cases in the near future.
The crisis
When the pandemic first hit, we realised that there was an urgent need for isolation and COVID care centres. The second wave hit India in an unimaginable way. Government hospitals ran out of beds and other healthcare equipment. Doctors and other healthcare workers are risking their lives each day on the frontlines. However, without proper equipment and supplies, our frontline workers cannot save precious lives.
Impact on society
The situation has resulted in increased inequalities between different sections of society. On the one hand, there are few who had enough money to acquire resources by any means without burning a hole in their pocket. Then, there are middle-class people who have exhausted all their savings in getting healthcare for their family members.
And there are others who simply do not have the option to go out of the way financially. They are entirely dependent on the government’s healthcare infrastructure and do not have any spare cash for out of pocket medical expenses.
Can we strengthen COVID care centres and government hospitals?
Smile Foundation understands the seriousness of the crises which the pandemic has thrown at us. We have broadened our scope to become a COVID-19 relief fund. COVID care centres and government health institutions are facing shortage of oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, BiPAP machines, PPE kits, sanitizers, oximeters, thermal scanners, and masks. These are absolutely essential for the treatment of COVID patients and the safety of doctors.
Our target is to equip at least 100 COVID care centres and government hospitals with the necessary provisions. Corporates and institutions have been a big support till now.
YOUR contribution!
It is important to remember that strengthening the healthcare infrastructure of the country is a step towards development. It is not just about the underprivileged but about helping society as a whole. This pandemic has shown us that health cannot wait. You can do your part by donating to a COVID-19 solidarity response fund for the betterment of the healthcare infrastructure of the country.
The coronavirus pandemic has completely disrupted children’s lives, making them vulnerable to many challenges all at once. A normal school-going child is facing pangs of anxiety due to the sudden change of schooling environment and experience. They are also not able to meet their friends or play outdoors. In such a situation, we need to think about ways to safeguard children from the pandemic.
A variety of challenges
Families have suddenly been thrown together and have to spend a lot more time with each other in close quarters. In the pre-pandemic era, each family member was busy in their world till now. This sudden closeness and lack of space/me-time can lead to many misunderstandings, fights, and interpersonal issues.
There are added challenges for teenagers. Their sleeping and eating patterns have completely changed and impacted their circadian rhythm. This is adding to the already ongoing hormonal imbalance they face.
These are just a few problems that can be dealt with through planning or therapy.
Our survey showed some of the challenges for children during the pandemic.
Poor children at a disadvantage
The poor are at a bigger disadvantage. Living conditions, getting a meal on their plates, or access to healthcare are only some of the problems they face. Among such problems, education is the last priority for them. Paying for education just adds to their financial burden.
These children often also have to face toxic households. On the surface, every individual is good. However, one never knows how toxic a person/family can be without experiencing it personally.
Most children who go through domestic violence and abuse are held inside their homes by their abusers with no way out. For any organisation trying to help or reach out during the pandemic, there is no means to survey, not enough support to help the child in distress, and mostly no information and no way in. The children are no longer in regular contact with their teachers and welfare workers with whom they can share.
Need to safeguard children from the pandemic
Like countries such as Brazil, Bangladesh, and Mexico, we can include messages on violence/abuse when you make a call. There should also be a hotline that will respond immediately.
Hygiene kits are an important tool to prevent the spread of the pandemic. These must be distributed to vulnerable children and their families. We must give out positive parenting tips, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services, and COVID-19 prevention messages through the use of loudspeakers at the community level.
It is important to set up a child helpline. This should allow counsellors to reach out to children remotely for case management and psychosocial support services.
What can citizens do?
The best we citizens can do is look out for our neighbours or react to signs and reach out to either the abused or a helpline because there is no bigger trauma than going through it all alone. Preventing a mishappening may benefit a child’s life and give him a happy childhood instead of a traumatic one. This is one of the most important problems that need attention.
Among those infected with the coronavirus, only about 4 per cent of the affected people need hospitalization, while nearly 96 per cent can recover through isolation and care. With our healthcare infrastructure overburdened, home isolation has become a valuable and effective means of dealing with the coronavirus.
What does home isolation mean?
As per the WHO, “Being in isolation means being separated from other people, ideally in a medical facility where you can receive clinical care. If isolation in a medical facility is not possible and you are not in a high-risk group of developing severe disease, isolation can take place at home.”
It further states, “If you have symptoms, you should remain in isolation for at least 10 days plus an additional 3 days without symptoms. If you are infected and do not develop symptoms, you should remain in isolation for 10 days from the time you test positive.’
Home isolation kits
For the poor in India, home isolation presents many challenges.
First, it requires you to have a separate room and attached toilet. In the homes of the poor in India, space is often a significant problem, even under normal circumstances. Families of four to six members often reside in one- or two-bedroom houses in congested areas. In many instances, these houses do not have attached bathroom or toilets. All the residents of the area use community toilets.
Second, self-isolation without the care of doctors and nurses requires that you keep a track of your temperature, oxygen saturation level, etc. Doctors also recommend steam for smoother recovery from Covid-19. Thus, you need to have a thermometer, a pulse oximeter, and a steamer at home. Most families cannot afford to buy these items because they survive on daily wages and a hand-to-mouth subsistence.
Third, there should be a designated person to take care of the Covid patient at home. This is not possible for many families, and hiring help is not even an option.
Thus, it is important to remember that isolating at home is a privilege that not everyone has easy access to.
What can you do?
You may be wondering where you can donate for coronavirus relief? Smile Foundation is providing home isolation kits for Covid-19 patients who have mild and less severe symptoms. This can ensure that they get effective care at home, as far as possible. This is one of the many interventions of our Health Cannot Wait campaign, which is aimed at providing aid during the Covid-19 crisis in India.
Our target is to provide 50,000 home isolation kits to underprivileged Covid patients. The cost of one home isolation kit is Rs 2300. It includes digital thermometer, pulse oximeter, steam inhalation equipment, medicines, and supplements. Donate TODAY towards relief for the Covid emergency in your country.
“I have learned to value food and not waste it. We have seen how difficult it is to access food and seen our parents struggling to make ends meet.” A child at one of Smile Foundation’s Mission Education centres in Bangalore said this. These centres are working actively towards imparting life skills in the youth.
The impact on children
The Covid pandemic has affected all sections of society in one way or the other. Among other things, we also have to worry about the well-being of our children. They are missing out on meeting friends, playing outside, extracurricular activities, besides observing, exploring, and learning from the world outside.
As per UNICEF, the 2020 lockdowns led to the closure of almost 1.5 million schools in India. This brought chaos to the lives of over 247 million students of elementary and secondary schools. Further, this situation could have a profound impact on the mental and socio-emotional well-being of children.
Children are deprived of play and physical contact. These are critical for their psycho-social well-being and development. Therefore, the role of parents, educationists, and development workers in keeping them engaged, motivated, hopeful, and happy has increased a lot.
Use this time to impart life skills!
We must look at the positive sides as well. Children are spending more time with their family at home. This could be the time and place to help them imbibe critical life skills along with moral values. It is an opportunity to nurture a generation that inculcates humane values of gratefulness, compassion, respect, and kindness towards humanity and nature. This is a time to show them that there is more to life than academics to lead a fulfilling life.
Teach them responsibility
Assigning small tasks and errands to children gives them a sense of importance. They will feel that you value their inputs and contribution. They get hands-on experience and realise the significance of taking responsibility. Many children have learned new skills to help around the home – cooking, gardening, and other household chores, for instance.
‘One Earth, One Home’
We joined hands with WWF on the ‘One Earth, One Home’ initiative. We implemented this through our Mission Education centres across India. The children enthusiastically learned to appreciate, explore, and learn from nature.
They learned how to work along with their parents and family because of staying at home. They learned how to grow plants, avoid wasting water, and keep the environment clean. These little encouragements can impart the spirit of teamwork, independence, collaboration, accomplishment, and responsibility.
The resilience of children
This is a time when families have been exposed to several kinds of struggles including financial, psychological, and health-related. Many adults lost their jobs, had to take pay cuts, survive on limited resources, and face health issues due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Children who have single mothers working as domestic help were hit severely during the lockdown. Their movements were restricted and they were advised not to visit the homes where they work. The majority of them had to remain without pay or got only part of their salary.
These families faced a huge financial burden to access basic needs too. However, the timely intervention from the Mission Education centres and Smile Foundation’s dry ration kit distribution drives ensured that children and their families have access to nutritious food during the crisis.
Children have had to silently bear witness and participate along with the family to manage and overcome the crisis. The support that family member’s have extended to each other instills confidence and belief in oneself and in the family as a unit. Through this, family bonds have become stronger. You learn that no matter what, you can always bounce back to life with more vigour and positivity, together with loved ones.
Importance of self-care
Staying fit and practising physical activities is a must for emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Physical exercise or yoga are integral elements in the curriculum for a blended mode of learning by the ME centres. All work and no play is making children fatigued and dispirited.
Children, parents, and teachers learned the importance of self-care across ME centres on occasions like Women’s Day, Children’s Day, etc. The importance of consuming healthy nutrients, soaking in sunlight, and exercising can help relieve some of the stress and fear among children and adults.
Let’s be grateful
Being grateful and appreciating life is a key learning for children. Parents and teachers can share anecdotes and explain to them about the commendable work done by Covid warriors. Doctors, health workers, police, and social volunteers are providing much-needed care, essentials, and food packets, and supporting relief initiatives.
As human beings, we are interdependent in each other and these pandemic has revealed that we are all in it together. It is the little things in life that work miracles and alleviates the pain and sorrow of our neighbours in these difficult times.
Continuing with hope
We need to accept the challenges of the pandemic and turn them into opportunities. Smile’s ME teachers and staff are managing and guiding the children emotionally and academically. Another year of blended learning from home appears to be a real possibility at the moment.
Apart from academic learning, we need to teach our children critical socio-emotional life skills to help them tide through this time. We must reignite their self-awareness, mindfulness, grit, and appreciation for this journey called life.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to the realisation that our healthcare infrastructure is not well-equipped to deal with a disaster of this scale. The second wave has made matters worse. Frontline health workers are working round the clock to save lives. They are putting their lives at risk every day.
Frontline worker in Sonbhadra, UP
What we believe
We at Smile Foundation are donating relief during the Covid-19 pandemic on all possible fronts. As part of our interventions, we are trying to ensure that our frontline workers, including doctors, nurses, paramedics, and ASHA and Anganwadi workers, have access to protective gear like PPE kits and masks.
Frontline workers in PPE kits
Smile Foundation believes that it is important to protect our health workers as much as possible. After caring for patients all day, they also have families to go back to and they need to protect them as well as the patients whom they care for. They are leading India’s battle against the deadly pandemic.
Challenges for frontline health workers
By the end of May 2021, India had recorded close to 2.8 crore Covid-19 cases. Some studies estimate that the real number is much higher. One of the first challenges that India faced when the crisis hit was the shortage of PPE kits. India was not manufacturing enough and also exporting a significant amount of PPE kits.
On account of many people buying and hoarding various essential goods, there had been a shortage of N95 masks as well.
By the time the second wave hit in March 2021, the production of PPE kits and N95 masks in India has gone up considerably. However, many frontline workers still do not have access to proper protective gear. There may be various reasons for this, such as, shortage of funds, problems in transporting supplies, a lax attitude towards health and safety by the administration of medical facilities, and so on.
Our interventions
Healthcare workers wearing PPE kit in Khaira, UP
So far, we have provided over 80,000 protective gear to frontline health workers. Our aim is to provide at least 1 million sets of protective gear to frontline health workers. The cost of each set is Rs 12,000. It includes PPE kits, N95 masks, and sanitiser for one healthcare worker for 30 days.
Do your part!
We have been working tirelessly to work as a Covid-19 response fund. In the past year, we have amped up our efforts to help the healthcare infrastructure workers and helpers in useful ways. But all our efforts have a crucial backbone – YOU. You can also become a Covid-19 warrior and donate now! Join our Health Cannot Wait campaign to make a difference today.
As the second wave of Covid-19 grips the country, we witness a more intense and rapid spike in the active cases per day. This has led to new threats being posed to human life and education. Amid educational institutions being shut down, how is the Covid-19 pandemic affecting student learning?
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost every sector across the globe. It has affected the education system in India and across the globe. Educational institutes, including schools, colleges, and universities, have been shut owing to the nationwide lockdown implemented by the government. Classes have been suspended and all examinations and entrance tests have been postponed indefinitely.
Thus, the lockdown has hampered the schedules of almost every student. Undoubtedly, this is a crucial time for the education system as several entrance tests and competitive examinations are held during this period.
A new way forward
Classes, examinations, and internships of all education institutions have been cancelled. Instead, they are using online modes of learning and teaching. Initially, there was confusion among teachers and students with regard to coping with the situation. However, the lockdown has taught us many lessons on managing the pandemic.
A teacher taking an online class.
This lockdown has given teachers and students a way to continue education online. The teachers deliver their lectures through various video conferencing apps like Zoom, Google Meet, Facebook live, Skype etc.
The perception of schools has changed since the lockdown. With schools being closed for months, e-learning has taken centre stage all over the world. Digital learning has become the new normal for schools and other institutes. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of online classes. It has given a chance to students to develop skills through online learning in a more productive and efficient way. There are many benefits of digital learning as it has no physical boundaries and students get to learn new things while staying in their comfort zone.
Government interventions
Moreover, there have been many digital initiatives from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) for secondary as well as higher education during this pandemic.
The central government has launched online platforms and applications to aid learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance:
Diksha
E-Pathshala
Swayam
Does the pandemic affect student learning positively?
Despite the hindrances caused by the global pandemic, there are many things that have happened in favour of the educational system.
A teacher giving worksheet support and guidance to a student during a home visit in Bankura. Photo by ARIJIT SEN
The Indian education system needs to transform from a traditional approach and adopt digital methods. The pandemic has accelerated the demand for digital education and encouraged students and teachers to learn and work together and gather knowledge.
Due to e-learning, students are taking online notes and preparing digitalized copies of their work, which saves paper and benefits the environment.
There has also been a collaborative effort from both teachers and students to work in this environment. Furthermore, students can easily connect with teachers around the world through online meetings and teleconferencing. Hence, the pandemic is affecting student learning in positive ways as well.
School closures affecting children’s nutrition
On the other hand, there are some negative impacts of this too. For instance, school meals are designed to give children the nutrition they need, and some families rely on free school meals for their children. With the coronavirus-triggered school closures, children are missing out on not just education but potentially on nutritious and affordable lunches too.
A child enjoys his midday meal in school before the pandemic.
The World Food Programme estimated that around three hundred million primary school children who depend on free school lunches are missing out on them because of school closures.
If children aren’t attending school and receiving these free meals, the need to buy more food for weekday lunches can place financial pressure on parents. Parents may also find it difficult to come up with lunch ideas that are affordable and nutritious.
Missing education can impact children’s mental health
For many children, the current events are stressful and upsetting. Their usual routine has been disrupted, and there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding when they will be able to return to school. This uncertainty can leave children feeling worried and insecure.
Children are also missing out on their social life as the lockdown is a drastic change from seeing their friends and classmates almost every day. This can affect children in different ways — they may feel lonely, unmotivated, stressed, or depressed.
It may help to talk to children about what’s going in the world, explain the reasons for the lockdown, and the importance of staying safe. Listening to and acknowledging their thoughts, feelings, and worries can also help children feel better about the situation.
Parents should also encourage their children to stay in touch with their friends, other family members, and classmates using technology. There are video calling applications, messaging platforms, and online games that children can play together.
Conclusion
Covid expert committees at both central and state levels have always given the least priority to reopening schools during the pandemic. This is primarily because of the challenges in ensuring Covid-appropriate norms among children.
With the emergence of the second wave, the education system needs to be prepared to witness a repeat of what was seen in the past year until all or a majority of the population is vaccinated. The pandemic will be affecting student learning for a while.
The biggest challenge in the second wave of coronavirus in India has been the shortage of oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators. As a result of this, many lives have been lost. Oxygen banks are the need of the hour. Smile Foundation is working towards this goal vigorously by utilising Covid donations.
A Smile Foundation volunteer with an oxygen cylinder for Covid patients
Why do we need oxygen banks?
The coronavirus has spread rapidly throughout the nation and has stretched our healthcare infrastructure to its limits. Hospitals have regularly been sending out SOS signals announcing that they only have a few hours of oxygen left. Many healthcare facilities also had to turn away a number of patients because of the shortage. This led to more loss of lives.
Who is most affected?
In the bigger cities, people have more money and more resources. Thus, a few are able to arrange these facilities, but at exorbitant prices. However, the less privileged communities are the worst affected because they have the least access to such provisions and life-saving equipment.
Oxygen being supplied from a Smile on Wheels van.
Vulnerable communities in remote parts of the country are in urgent need of oxygen cylinders and concentrators. Due to lack of funds and disruption of transportation networks, they cannot simply go to their nearest town and get proper healthcare. Without these, their chances of surviving the pandemic are significantly lower.
With the rapid rise in cases, other essential provisions are also in short supply. Oximeters, which monitor oxygen saturation in the blood, are one of the most essential tools in the Covid-19 recovery process. Currently, these are either unavailable in the markets or being sold at exorbitant prices. Either way, the underprivileged sections of society are not able to access these.
Providing oxygen and oximeters
Smile Foundation is helping to provide oxygen and oximeters to individuals and facilities that need it the most. Corporates such as Tecnimont, S&P Global Foundation, Western Digital, and Ericsson Global are donating generously towards the same.
A woman getting her oxygen saturation checked at a Smile on Wheels van
Oxygen banks – The need of the hour
Most importantly, we are working on creating 100 oxygen banks across the country to help critical patients from vulnerable communities have access to oxygen supply. The cost of 1 oxygen cylinder is Rs 12,000 and each bank will have 20 oxygen cylinders.
Do your part!
You can also do your part by responding to the coronavirus crisis appeal. Join hands with us and donate to our Health Cannot Wait campaign that is vigorously providing on-ground support, services, and provisions to the worst-affected sections of our society.
The second wave of the coronavirus has swept through India. As a result, India’s infrastructure is struggling to keep up with Covid-19 relief services. Major cities along with remote parts of the country are facing the impact. To help deal with this difficult situation, Smile Foundation is reaching out to the people in need. We are providing them with the necessary doorstep healthcare services through our ‘Smile on Wheels’ initiative.
A patient gets medicines from a Smile on Wheels mobile hospital.
Lack of basic healthcare
A major problem that the underprivileged are facing in these tough times is the lack of access to primary healthcare facilities. Many are not able to reach the hospitals or dispensaries. Moreover, a large number of government health facilities have been transformed into Covid centres. This makes it difficult for people to get medical attention for other ailments.
Smile on Wheels – Healthcare at your doorstep!
Smile on Wheels is a mobile hospital programme. It benefits thousands of people who do not have access to basic healthcare services because of the pandemic. These mobile hospitals take primary healthcare as well as Covid-care services to the doorsteps of the most vulnerable children and their families. The Smile on Wheels vans aim to reach even the remote villages and slums. This service includes not just doctors’ consultation at your doorstep but also other facilities such as free medicines and point of care tests. Each van has a qualified doctor, a nurse, and an attendant along with modern facilities.
An RT-PCR test for the coronavirus is being carried out by a Smile on Wheels volunteer.
Tele-medicine and tele-counselling – A blessing for many
Smile Foundation is also providing tele-medicine services to those who cannot visit a hospital or dispensary physically. A big factor in the rampant spread of the virus is the lack of understanding among people who, because of this, are not able to take necessary precautions to protect themselves from the disease. Tele-counselling plays an important role here. It is being used as a medium to spread awareness about the coronavirus pandemic and informing people about how they can prevent getting infected. Over 1,00,000 families have already been sensitised about Covid-19 through our tele-counselling services.
Tele-counselling service by Smile Foundation volunteer in Kolkata
Our reach
Our range of programmes was primarily children’s education and health. We are now redirecting some of our resources towards Covid-19 charity to help India in the fight against the virus. Till now, over one million people from 2,200 vulnerable communities have been provided doorstep healthcare services through our mobile hospitals and telemedicine programmes. Our target is to reach at least two million people in FY 21-22.
The OPD cost for one person is Rs 240. It includes consultation, medicines, point of care tests, referral services, awareness and counselling.
What can YOU do?
You can do your part by donating to help fight Covid’s second wave in India. that has impacted millions of our fellow citizens. The pandemic has left them more vulnerable than ever before. This is why they need our help. Our warriors on the ground need resources to help the less privileged members of our society. You can donate these resources TODAY.
The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in India has once again left lakhs of daily wage earners and migrant workers in the lurch. The COVID-induced lockdown in March 2020 had forced thousands of migrants to return to their home states in the absence of work. This year a lot of them have decided to stay back, but they need help. Smile Foundation has taken the initiative to donate dry ration kits to lakhs of families.
Smile Foundation distributes dry ration to the residents of Bantala area in Kolkata on Sunday 19 April 2020. Photo by ARIJIT SEN
Why donate dry ration kits?
In these tough times, everyone is worried about something new unfolding each day. Some are concerned about their jobs and their children’s education. Others have to deal with different situations and problems. However, it gets really intense when the issue is – How to feed your family?
This is what lakhs of daily wagers and migrant workers are going through because they rely entirely on their daily income to get food on the table for their families. In this hour of need, can we in any way help India during this ferocious COVID surge?
Plight of daily wage earners
With businesses shut and shops closed, daily wagers and migrant labourers are struggling to survive and make ends meet during this lockdown period. Their livelihoods have been severely affected by the curbs imposed by several states in a bid to restrict the fast-spreading viral disease.
They are now being faced with the twin burden of surviving against the deadly COVID-19 as well as battling hunger on a daily basis. The children of many of these people were earlier able to avail the midday meal scheme at their schools. However, this option too has become a distant reality for them with schools being closed indefinitely. The pandemic has made hunger an ominous reality for millions of our fellow citizens.
Social distancing nearly impossible
Moreover, protection from the disease is also a far cry for them. If hunger doesn’t get them, the disease surely will. Their makeshift homes that are very close to each other make it difficult to avoid contact with others. Social distancing is an alien concept and almost impossible to follow, even if they tried. Their living conditions are deplorable as the most basic hygiene and sanitation facilities haven’t reached them yet.
In such a situation, we need to ask ourselves what we can do to help the needy during this pandemic. It is not possible or feasible for individuals to venture out on their own and distribute food and ration. Apart from the safety aspect, there are also restrictions in place that will prevent us from venturing out to aid someone in need.
Our Covid relief campaign
To help ease the situation, Smile Foundation, through their Health Cannot Wait campaign, is aiming to combat the crisis in a number of effective ways. One of these programmes is to provide three square meals a day to as many families as possible. Counting on our broad ground-level network, Smile has been distributing dry ration kits to the families that have been most affected by the pandemic.
Distribution of dry ration kits in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Cost of dry ration kits
So far, we have provided 27.7 million meals to more than 2,00,000 families in 23 states of India. Our target is to provide three square meals a day to more than 2,50,000 families.
The cost of one dry ration kit is Rs 1700 which includes rice, dal, salt, oil, sugar, chilli powder, turmeric powder, suji, wheat flour, onion, potato, dalia, and biscuits (for children). The quantity provided in each kit is sufficient for 30 days for a family of five.
How you can help
While this may not seem a lot for someone who is from a different section of society, donating dry ration kits like this can go a long way for families who are doubting their very survival during the pandemic. These people and their families need your support and you can donate right now to ensure that these families don’t go hungry.
We at Smile Foundation organized an online awareness campaign for child labour. The purpose of this campaign was to distract the thoughts of children from the horrifying news and images that are all around us these days while spreading awareness about the issue.
In the midst of the surging second wave of Covid-19, schools that had started to reopen had to shut down once again. This left students feeling quite distressed and disheartened. They were unable to physically meet their friends and teachers as the second wave sent them into another round of lockdown. The campaign helped many children engage proactively in something creative and thoughtful.
Awareness campaign for child labour
The Child for Child team of Smile Foundation built an online awareness competition titled “A Child is Meant to Learn, Not to Earn”. This included a painting and an essay writing competition. The aim was to keep children busy with art and creative writing. We felt that this would contribute hugely towards their mental well-being and keep them distracted as they worked on their entries for the competition.
We got everyone involved!
Over a hundred schools from across the country participated. We also got to know that parents and grandparents actually guided their wards, spent substantial time doing online research, and then helped the child put together the final poster or the essay that eventually reached us digitally.
Eco-friendly prizes from For Earth’s Sake Cafe
The cause of child labour is so heartfelt that we even got a gift sponsor for the winners. A zero-waste café from Gurugram named For Earth’s Sake Café sponsored the gifts for the winners in each category—eco-friendly notebooks with covers that have seeds in them and can be planted in soil. Children can put it in soil, water it, and see a plant grow from the cover page of a notebook!
Painting and essay writing on child labour
It was a tall task to choose the top few from amongst the remarkable submissions in each category. The paintings that we received reflected the pain felt by children whenever they saw a child labourer at a roadside dhaba or working in the fields. The essays spoke volumes about how India has one of the highest numbers of child labourers in the world. They also talked about the intensive work that NGOs like Smile Foundation are doing to prevent and to rehabilitate the victims of child labour.
The messages across all essays and paintings revolved around poverty being one of the main causes for this, how education of underprivileged children is essential, and how society should get involved and bring about a civic-driven change to get rid of this deep-rooted malaise.
Our jury
We are extremely grateful to our august jury panel for deciding upon the winners for our child labour campaign. For the painting competition Ms. Parul Bali, an esteemed artist who also manages a beautiful digital gallery, was our juror.
For the essay competition, the judge was Ms. Nirupama Subramanian, an established author who has multiple publications and also conducts leadership workshops for organizations. They had to each screen over 300 shortlisted entries and were overwhelmed by the beautiful submissions by children
One of the paintings that won
Winners of Painting Competition:
Category A (Grades 5, 6, and 7)
1st – Himasri Roy, Grade VI of Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti, Guwahati
2nd – Trisha P. Iyer, Grade VI of Vikhe Patil Memorial School, Lohegaon
3rd– Aryan Jain, Grade V of BCM Sr. Sec. School, Ludhiana
Special Mention – Shraddha S. Sur, Grade VII of Gujarat Refinery English Medium School, Vadodara
Category B (Grades 8, 9, and 11)
1st – Manya Sagar, Grade IX of Mother’s Global School, Delhi
2nd –Devika Santhosh, Grade XI of St. Thomas School, Indirapuram
3rd – Prabhjot, Grade VIII of Swami Sant Dass Public School, Jalandhar
Special Mention – Arushi Saini, Grade IX of Bhawan Vidyalaya, Sec. 15, Mohali.
Winners of Essay Writing Competition:
Category A (Grades 5, 6, and 7)
1st – Saksham Sabharwal, Grade VII of Swami Sant Dass Public School, Jalandhar
2nd – Heeral Agarwal, Grade VII of Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti, Guwahati
3rd – Lehar Jain, Grade V of Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti, Guwahati
4th – Komal, Grade VI of Swami Sant Dass Public School, Jalandhar
Special Mention – Tabassum, Grade VII of Ekalavya School Kasthuri Trust ME Center, Bengaluru
Category B (Grades 8, 9, and 11)
1st – Roshni Bharadwaj, Grade VIII of Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti, Guwahati
2nd – Eshaan Lokesh, Grade VIII of Primus Public School, Bengaluru
3rd – Aparan, Grade IX of Swami Sant Dass Public School, Jalandhar
4th – Bala Roshni B., Grade XI of Vana Vani M.H.S. School, Chennai
Special Mention – Apurba Rattan Poddar, Grade VIII of Rama Krishna Sarada Vidya Mandir, Katihar
Seeing students embracing their creative side in these unprecedented times fosters the mental well-being of not just the individual but also of those who are working with them to put together the final output and those who are viewing the paintings and reading the essays. We wish all the schools, teachers, and parents who motivated the participants our heartfelt good wishes. And to the winners, many many congratulations!
