Working from home presents its own set of challenges, particularly for World Vision’s field staff, who are accustomed to engaging directly with children and parents in their communities and regularly checking in on them. In such trying times, creative solutions are essential. With the easy availability of online video conferencing through various applications, we’ve been able to bridge the gap and maintain connections with children and parents across the country. Our field staff are not only promoting health, hygiene, and parenting messages but are also reaching out to check on their well-being and understand their concerns during the lockdown. 

From seven cities (Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Hyderabad, and Bangalore), we connected with several children in their homes to understand how they, their families, and communities are coping during these challenging times. The recurring issues raised by the children included a lack of food and ration supplies, loss of wages due to their parents’ unemployment, a general sense of boredom from being unable to go out and play or meet friends and worries about pending exams and missing out on school curricula. While the children assured us that they were practising social distancing, many expressed concerns about other people in their communities who were not taking the situation seriously. 

On a positive note, many children were glad to spend more time with their parents and siblings. Several were helping out with household chores, and in their free time, they pursued hobbies such as drawing, doing arts and crafts, or playing indoor games with their siblings. It was heartening to see how most of the children were aware of the health guidelines issued by the WHO and the government on how to protect themselves from COVID-19. Additionally, the children were aware of the child helpline number (1098), where they can report any instances of abuse or violence. 

Palak from Delhi says, I am in 12th grade now, and typically, kids start studying in advance for the 12th board exams. But right now, I am unable to get the correct books because of the lockdown, and that’s my biggest problem. I am worried about my studies. I want more books to read and study. I watch videos on YouTube and other platforms, but it’s a little confusing to figure out how to choose the right video from ten different ones. When I was in the 11th grade, I didn’t study much, thinking I would study in the 12th grade. But now that I’m here, I can’t study. It’s a funny situation,” says Palak with an exasperated smile. 

19-year-old Joynal from Assam, in the northeast of India, had some interesting insights to share as well. Joynal is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in commerce and is in his second year. He enjoys walking, doing arts and crafts, as well as colouring and shading. The lockdown has been a confusing time for him.  

He says, “Earlier, when I would come home from school, nobody would be at home. But now, everyone is home, so it’s nice to spend this time with my parents and siblings. I help my mother with the household work during this lockdown.” 

“Some of the challenges I see in my community are that people are not getting rationed supplies equally. The people who distribute food or grains don’t reach out to everyone. There is also a fear of going outside because of the coronavirus. Even my friends tell me to stay inside. But there are many people who are not following the instructions. As the cases are still low in the state, I feel people aren’t taking it very seriously,” says Joynal. 

For 13-year-old Godwin, who lives in Chennai, the lockdown is proving to be a particularly demanding time. He says, “This lockdown should end soon. A lot of people don’t have jobs and are without income. My mother works in a hospital, and this is a difficult time for us too. We’re worried about her. I also feel sad because I can’t play.” 

Thirteen-year-old Durgesh, who is studying in the 8th grade and lives in Hyderabad with his family, says the greatest impact of the lockdown has been on his physical fitness. At school, he would play cricket and other sports, so he got plenty of exercise. But now that school is closed, Durgesh has had to find other ways to stay fit, both physically and mentally. He tells us, “I spend most of my time reading books and listening to music. My dad encourages me to read more, so I read general knowledge books and also others like Harry Potter. I don’t have many friends in my locality; most of my friends are from school. So, when we miss each other, we do video calls to keep in touch.” 

“My message to people is to do some yoga or physical exercise, like walking in the house, or playing badminton. That’s how I’m keeping physically fit. To stay mentally fit, I play mind games and solve puzzles. I’ve also borrowed 9th-grade textbooks from a friend so I can study and be prepared once school reopens,” says Durgesh. 

About the situation in his community, Durgesh shares some major concerns. “The people in my community are following the rules of the lockdown. However, certain things are challenging. For example, shops and vegetable vendors are hiking the prices and taking advantage of the situation. Some people in the private sector aren’t receiving their salaries either. It’s particularly tough for daily wage earners and construction workers. How will they afford to buy expensive goods? They can’t meet their needs,” says Durgesh. 

Fifteen-year-old Rekha from Delhi shares, “Some people don’t have toilets in their homes, and the community toilets are often locked. So, it’s difficult for young children as they struggle to control themselves. Besides that, many children are losing out because schools are closed. There is also the issue of food and rations. How will people like daily wage earners manage? My father is a labourer, and even we are finding it hard to manage at home. There are lots of problems in other homes as well. We collected money in our children’s club to help those families who aren’t getting rations, and we were planning to make some awareness videos as well,” says Rekha. When asked about the one thing she misses, she replies, “I do miss meeting and playing with my friends.” We are overjoyed to know that our children are safe and doing well. We will continue to stay in touch with them as we sail through this storm together! 

- Neola D’Souza  

Labels: #childwellbeing #connecting #covid-19 #coronavirus #pandemic #awareness #prevention #worldvisionindia #wvindia #lockdown