June 7, 2022
The nation-wide lockdown, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, had short and long term socio-economic implications especially for the deprived section of India, causing reverse migration, hunger, starvation, loss of livelihood and range of other sufferings. Persons and children with disabilities cut across all social groups and are perhaps the most vulnerable ones. A large number of persons and children with disabilities reside in the urban slums and resettlement colonies of Delhi, and belong to migrant families engaged in unskilled work and are employed in the unorganized sectors. These are the vulnerable population that is often left behind during any humanitarian crisis. It is with these persons and children with disabilities residing in the urban slums and resettlement colonies of Okhla, Tughlakabad, Govindpuri etc. in Delhi that ASTHA has been working with for their rehabilitation since three decades now.
The organization decided to respond, to work through the lockdown, and provide immediate help to the distress families through referral calls from other networks and organizations. The organization followed a dual approach- support government by activating and facilitating government response’ by informing people of new government efforts and to provide for urgent needs of as many children and persons with disabilities to the best of its capacity. It is important to reach across various vulnerable sections in a crisis like this and consequently, the organization started providing dry ration to other vulnerable groups. Lack of data with the concerned authorities on persons and children with disabilities and other vulnerable populations having spatial distribution across the city made the task of identification of distressed families difficult. Reaching out to bodies like the Delhi Hunger Committee, Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights, enabled the organization to reach people beyond its geographical areas of work. The organization worked in a coordinated manner with different agencies, alliances, stakeholders and such personnel who have intimate knowledge of the communities where they work and provide instant relief, proved to be useful in tough times like this. Also, the role of ASTHA’s disability helpline and technology as important channels of communication, disseminating different types of information in such distress cannot be undermined.
ASTHA took a step back from response to a more systematic approach. ASTHA followed a dual approach. It would support the government by activating and facilitating government response’ by informing people of new government efforts. However, it would continue to provide for the urgent needs of as many children and persons with disabilities to the best of its capacity. It reached out to nearly 2000 families of Children and Persons with Disabilities in Delhi and Bihar. ASTHA now, has a list of all these families in need and gradually reaching out to them for their education, rehabilitation and ensuring rights and entitlements.
As the lockdown continued, the entire team at ASTHA has been and continuing to work really
hard, without a break in ensuring that:
ASTHA worked closely with families of Children with Disabilities for their early childhood care and development, education, care and protection. It facilitated a range of strategies in form of online teaching, distributing individualised learning kits and focussing on families as an ecosystem and not
just the individual child.
This year, due to the onset of COVID-19 pandemic a big crisis loomed among all, especially with populations of children and persons with disabilities. ASTHA took the initiative to reach out to the most vulnerable within this population through partnerships with other organisations, civil society networks and government agencies. ASTHA reached out to approx. 2000 families of children and persons with disabilities and supported them with ration kits, medicine and information according to their needs.
