The second wave of Covid-19 threw many challenges at us, making it one of the worst crises for the human race in recent times. Many people struggled to get medical facilities on time and lost their loved ones. In some cases, whole families were wiped out by the indiscriminating virus while in other unfortunate incidents, parents died and children were left to fend for themselves. Their pain is endless and can’t be imagined.
DCP, Women Safety in Noida Ms. Vrinda Shukla is sensitive enough to recognize the unbearable pain of those children, and the rough road ahead they are about to face. And to address the issue, she has `Mission Aasra’ for the care and protection of such children.
During an interaction with Indian Masterminds, the IPS officer spoke about the mission and how she and her team members are reaching out to these children.
Taking District Child Line on board
Ms. Shukla and her team were getting a lot of calls about kids who lost their parents during the ongoing second wave of Covid -19, or of the cases where both their parents have been tested +ve with the virus. On the basis of this information, she initiated a system to provide help to the families. For this, she took women officers working with her in the team and launched a helpline under the mission ‘Aasra’. But, before all this she took the District Child Line on board. Childline 1098, operating in NOIDA, is India’s first 24 hour, toll free, emergency phone outreach service for children in need of care & protection.
Explaining this she said, “The police is in-charge of law & order but it can’t take children in custody who need care & protection. It is out of our line of work and we are not authorized to do so. So, we took the Child Line on board which has a license from the Ministry of Child & Welfare affairs. The Child Line is working with us on every case we have gotten till yet”.
`Aasra’ for them
Ms Shukla told Indian Masterminds that anybody in need could reach them through the helpline number which is 98705 92500. If the needy ones are from Noida, they can also call on 112 which is the standard emergency number. The officer’s team has also requested the Police control room to forward such calls to them.
After launching the helpline, the team made a database of volunteers who could provide certain types of help to the kids. Till now 110 people have registered through the helpline. “Some people have pledged to give psychological support to the distressed children, while others have come forward to provide cooked food or ration to them. Yet, some people have also shown willingness to adopt these children or bear their education expenses. When a call comes, we analyze the requirements of the child and match them to the volunteer who can help them”.
Till now Ms. Shukla’s team has connected 6 orphans to private donors who have transferred their first monetary contributions to support their long term education and well being. The team is working to provide help to three more such children.
Talking about one other case Ms Shukla said, “There are two children whose parents died in this crisis. They were daily wage workers so the children never got the opportunity to study. One child is small while the other one is 13 years. I am personally handling the case and looking for the option to admit the little one in a residential school. The bigger one doesn’t want to start from class one so we are working on enrolling him into a vocational training program, where he can preferably learn the work of electrician. With training he will be able to earn decently and won’t have to work in a dhaba as he was doing earlier.’’
Every case requires different approach
‘It is a matter involving kids so one kind of solution can’t work for everyone. We are handling each case differently and monitoring their requirements. The basic thing is to be sensitive towards them and do what is the best”, she added.
Ms. Shukla also mentioned that till now they have not come across any instance where a child is shelter-less. Mostly, they are staying with their guardians. If any such case comes up, then it would be taken in front of the Child Welfare Committee providing shelter homes to them. Ms. Shukla also intent to to mentor these kids till they establish independent careers. She is also working to ensure the financial support to them through private philanthropists continues and they receive the Government benefits they are entitled to.
Besides this effort, Ms Shukla and her team members are also providing rations to the families where the parents no longer have jobs or are struggling for medicines.
