No donations a setback for children with special needs
PUNJAB
LUDHIANA:THE Covid-19 pandemic has left child care homes run by non-governmental organisations (NGOS) high and dry. With no sign of the situation easing, donations are drying up and the number of children in such institutions is seeing a steady decline as all activities come to a standstill.
NGOS are dependent on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of the local hosiery and cycle industries. With the economy slowing down, these institutions are not getting enough funds through CSR.
Neelam Sodhi, who runs NGO Ashirwad, an institute for children with cerebral palsy since 1999, says: “Donations are not flowing in. With schools closed, we are relying on one-on-one therapy. These are special children and even a small break in learning stalls their development and takes them back a year in their mental growth.”
While the institute’s strength has fallen from 70 to 35 students , Neelam had to reduce her staff. “Parents just stopped sending these children to school. We are relying on speech therapy and online classes,” she adds.
Rajinder Kumar Sharma, the ownerofnoblefoundationthatruns 36 schools for slum-children across the state, says, “We have seen a declineindonationsbyhalf.”before thelockdown,thereweremorethan 5,000 students across his chain of schoolsbutnowthereare2,200.
“Most children were wards of labourers who have gone back to their native places,” he says. “We are relying on online classes. We owe Rs 34 lakh to our suppliers of books, stationery and uniforms,” says Sharma. Niranjan Kumar, the general secretary of Darpan, a centre for the autistic, says, “We had 75 children until last year but now the centre is closed and we haven’t got any donation.” centre of Bathinda district. Four months after the Covid-19 pandemic, it is battling financial challenges as public contribution has dried up.
“Our monthly budget is about Rs 1 lakh, which includes expenditure on salaries of 14 staffers, food and electricity. Earlier, people contributed in cash and kind but visitors stopped coming since March,” says Krishan Kumar Bansal, the chairperson of the society that runs the orphanage.
“Earlier, people would donate flour, pulses and ghee to commemorate a family occasion but after the pandemic all such activity has been suspended. As social remittances have stopped, a close family group is planning to pool in funds to keep the institute running,” he says.
The 10-year-old institute also got aid regularly from a local corporate house. “We never had to ask anyone for support but now our teams are approaching people for funds,” he says.
Residents of the nearby Ganga, Giddar and Poohla villages ensure milk supply of 20 litres a day for the orphanage.
District child protection officer Ravneet Kaur said the children and staff have been screened for Covid-19. “The department has informed the state authorities about the difficulties the orphanage is facing. We have yet to get any information,” she adds.
STUDENT STRENGTH REDUCED TO HALF, TEACHERS WORRIED, BREAK IN LEARNING WILL STALL PROGRESS