Our COVID Response in India
What is WV India doing to support children who are affected by the pandemic?
Children who are made vulnerable in this pandemic need special care and support to overcome the trauma. World Vision India is working with partners in the area of mental health to provide children with the necessary psychosocial support and care to help them deal with the uncertainties caused by the pandemic.
A rapid assessment is underway to identify the needs of children – children tested positive for COVID 19, children lost their parents/caregivers to COVID, children who need immediate attention on malnutrition, food security, etc. Based on the assessment finding, World Vision India will execute a systemic and sustainable plan of action.
In each community where we work, World Vision India staff and volunteers are closely monitoring the coronavirus situation and are responding to the changing needs. World Vision India is keeping a close watch on the health and status of the livelihoods of the most vulnerable people in all the communities we serve. World Vision India extends its support through coordination with local health care delivery systems wherever needed and will distribute food, cash, voucher and support assistance.
How is the pandemic affecting children?
Long periods of school shutdowns is affecting children’s access to education, nutrition (since the mid-day-meal scheme and the anganwadi meal under the Integrated Child Development Scheme have been major state programs for child nutrition). The World Food Programme reports 300 million children globally will miss school meals amidst shutdowns. School shutdowns are also depriving children of the safety net that schools provides. Child vulnerability had spiked manifold and is manifesting in multiple ways, for multiple reasons. Children are orphaned when they lose one or both parents. Many children experience trauma, because of loss of jobs of their parents and their family’s displacement. Children who are vulnerable to hunger, malnutrition are trapped into the labour force, child marriages and trafficking.
What are the major initiatives of World Vision India undertaken to help the children impacted due to COVID-19 pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of children and their families across the country. World Vision India immediately reached out to the children and their families with access to water, sanitation, nutrition, education, health and protection services.
The second wave spread to smaller cities and the rural hinterland of India, crippling the weak health systems and infrastructure in villages. World Vision India responded immediately to the crisis by strengthening the rural health care systems by providing oxygen concentrators and other essential medical supplies and ensuring the well-being of children and families through psycho-social support.
- Since initiating the response to the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, World Vision India have assisted 164 communities with critical supplies and reached 1.68 million children with vital health, nutrition, education, child protection, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and psycho social services.
- To address the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 mitigation measures, World Vision India has supported adaptations to service delivery systems to limit interruptions, support continuity, facilitate reopening and enable equitable access.
- 810,562 health workers benefited from personal protective equipment; 131,406 people received WASH supplies; and rural health care facilities received 1,687 oxygen concentrators that help people with COVID-19 breathe.
- Awareness communication and community engagement interventions on COVID 19 appropriate behavior and Vaccination implemented through community influencers, traditional/religious leaders, community groups, youth groups, health workers and local organizations have reached over 30 million people.
Interventions for children orphaned due to COVID
The children orphaned due to COVID 19 merit care and protection under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The Act and Rules made there under mandate a safety net of service delivery structures along with institutional and non-institutional care for these children. The Ministry is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely Child Protection Services (CPS) in partnership with the State Governments/UT Administrations and State Commission for the Protection of Child Right’s (SCPCR) for delivering the institutional and non-institutional care as stipulated under the JJ Act.
World Vision India regularly monitors our intervention communities and leverages the facilities funded under the Child protection Services scheme for children in need. Apart from that, WV India also provides dry rations and counselling support to those children.
WV India COVID 19 response highlights
- 565,751 people provided food assistance through cooked food and dry rations
- 810,562 masks distributed to health facilities, health workers and communities
- 56,853 disinfectant / sanitation kits provided to health facilities
- 12,727 comprehensive hygiene kits distributed
- 131,406 hand-washing supplies distributed
- 559,545 households supported through cash voucher programming
- 104,908 children supported with Child Protection programming
- 741,257 people reached through awareness campaigns on prevention of COVID-19
- 77,080 gloves set distributed
- 9,699 medical personnel provided personal protection equipment (PPE)
- 5,612 community health workers trained and supported to provide community-based services
- 37,508 most vulnerable households/ caregivers provided essential materials (e.g., hand sanitizer, soap, masks) for infection prevention and control
- 9,360 people (children, parents/caregivers) provided with education support or training