Coronavirus update from Children on the Edge

CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE - Children on the Edge

30/9/2021

Muscan in India creates a poster about preventing the spread of coronavirus.

Covid-19 lockdown procedures are having a devastating effect on the slum dwelling, refugee and internally displaced communities we support around the world. Through over 30 years of working with some of the most marginalised groups, we know they are always the hardest hit in times such as these.

Together with our local partners we have been pursuing sensible solutions to contain the outbreak and so far provided 12,850 essential supply parcels to households who are most affected. This is thanks to the support of many generous donors including The Angus Lawson Memorial Trust, Partners Asia, DAK Foundation, The Body Shop at Home™, Alex and Will De Winton, Jeff Lucas and Postcode Global Trust.

Wherever possible, we have been using creative solutions to enable children's learning to continue and to ensure they are safe whilst they are cut off from regular protection services.

READ HOW HOME LEARNING PROGRAMMES ARE KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE THROUGH LOCKDOWN >>

BANGLADESH

Whilst families in Kutupalong refugee camp were largely sustained by the World Food Programme during lockdown, many people living in the slums of Cox's Bazar have faced a complete loss of income and the prospect of starvation. Our team in Cox's Bazar have distributed food to 3,000 households in urgent need of emergency food support.

10,000 flyers were given out to inform communities about Covid 19 and our our digital team has been working with the children in the Kutupalong camp and doctors in different countries, to produce a series of videos to help prevent the spread of the virus and promote greater understanding.

Whilst the schools in both areas remain closed for over 18 months, when lockdown restrictions allowed, home and community based classes were conducted each day in the camp, communities and enclaves.

The smaller, socially distanced classes also ensured that each child has interaction with a teacher every week, which will serve as a way to check in with them about their safety and wellbeing.

Read about our WORK IN BANGLADESH

From September 2021 all our schools were prepared and re-opened in a Covid-safe way as soon as permission was granted by the Bangladesh government. Children were met with flowers, chocolates, bunting and balloons to celebrate their return to school.

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INDIA

A second deadly wave of coronavirus has been sweeping India throughout 2021 and thanks to the generous support of our donors we were able to respond to the crisis.

During the first wave we were able to deliver 7,770 food parcels to around 5,000 of the most vulnerable households, including returning migrant workers, local widows, people struggling with disabilities and children who attend our Learning Centres. Parcels consist of rice, dhal, spices, sugar, soap, oil and soya chunks and contain enough food for over 15 days for an (average sized) family of six.

To respond to the devastation caused by the second wave of this pandemic we provided nearly 3,000 of the poorest families with 'Survival kits' containing vital food and supplies, and resourced 500 healthcare workers with essential PPE safety kits. Our mobile mentoring services also helped to counsel and support Covid-affected Dalit families, and connect them with health, food and transport services that they were cut off from.

Read more about our work in Patna

The Learning Centres remained mostly closed until August 2021, but during this time lessons were sent via Whatsapp to teacher’s phones, which were taught in small, socially distanced groups. During the strictest lockdown periods our partners delivered textbooks and other learning materials to the homes of all the children so they could keep up their studies.

Teachers have also been trained to mentor families through the crisis, particularly around COVID-19 awareness, hygiene and health, good parenting and the prevention of domestic and child abuse.

Local children, together with our Children's Parliaments led the way in keeping their communities safe, and Women's Groups have created resilience in households suffering under lockdown, attracting 275 new members who witnessed the benefits in their communities (watch the video below to find out more).

KACHIN STATE, MYANMAR

COVID-19 infection rates stabilised during July and August 2020, while restrictions on movement and gatherings were gradually relaxed. However, by the end of August cases were increasing again, meaning that travel to the camps might be restricted again in the near future.

Over lockdown the teachers from the ECD centres were educating parents and children about the virus, and our partners implemented a hand-washing campaign along with the installation of new hand-washing stations.

All the centres have been closed and re-opened periodically as restrictions have tightened and lifted. 270 individual ‘playing and learning kits’ have been distributed at the centres with the largest number of pupils. This measure was implemented due to the risk of the virus spreading via shared toys and equipment.

Read about our work in Kachin State

Throughout lockdown, teachers created a wide scale home learning plan for and supported parents to encourage their children's progress. Parenting programmes also ensured a safe environment for children through this time.

UGANDA

Jinja slum communities

Whilst our Early Childhood Development Centres remain closed, teachers are using mobile phones, delivering home learning packs and conducting regular home visits to support children with distance learning and check on their safety and wellbeing.

With a rise in child abuse under lockdown we have focussed on ensuring safe environments for children. Our social worker conducted one-on-one home visits and all team members were given extra phone credit in order to keep in touch with families. Child Protection Teams had additional workshops on domestic and sexual and gender based violence, as well as counselling, in order to counter the rise in these problem areas. Child Rights Clubs did awareness work in their communities to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Our small business loan scheme has helped to keep households afloat through the inevitable challenges that lockdown presents to various enterprises.

The team here identified that those facing the greatest threat during lockdown are elderly -headed households who often care for an average of five children (some as many as 13). Working with the government, staff delivered fortnightly supply parcels of maize flour, beans and soap to 100 of the most vulnerable households in all five slum areas. Watch the video below to find out more.

Kyaka II refugee settlement

The early years education work we support in Kyaka II has been shut down in lockdown, so we have organised a home teacher training programme and have been working with Ubongo to deliver 30 minute lessons, five times a week via a local radio station.

Nearly 7,000 children also have simple packages of learning materials delivered to their homes, along with a parent's guide, so they can complete activities as well as listen to the lessons.

By the summer of 2021 we began initial stages of creating a 'Cluster Learning Approach', where small groups of children can learn in communal spaces in each zone of the settlement. Whilst this was primarily designed to create access to education throughout lockdown, the model is set to be scaled up to meet the huge need for early learning education in Kyaka II, which cannot be met with physical buildings alone.

With the World Food Programme cutting rations to refugees in Uganda, we have also made two deliveries of essential supplies to 188 elderly-headed households, across 10 zones of the refugee settlement.

Read about our work in Kyaka II

Read about our work in Jinja

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LEBANON

Already dealing with a huge slump in currency and a rise in unemployment and inflation, coronavirus has compounded the problem in the country. The Lebanese population are now facing poverty, power cuts and fuel shortages.

In 2020 our partners distributed food and hygiene parcels to hundreds of vulnerable families around Beirut.

For the first month of lockdown, the school we support in Zahle was closed and deep cleaned. Homework was set regularly for all the children and refugee teachers continued to be paid so they can support their families through lockdown.

Our partners were also able to deliver training to refugee communities on social distancing and the prevention of viral spread.

As the country has been in and out of lockdown we have opened the school as and when it has been safe to do so.

Read about our work in Lebanon

For the periods where classes cannot gather, children have been engaging in a home learning programme. Schools are currently re-opened and running as best as they can despite the power and fuel problems.

UK

In the UK office, it was business as usual with staff working remotely from home, talking daily with our international partners and keeping engaged with our supporter community. Our Chichester office was reopened in September 2021.

We will continue to keep this page updated over the coming weeks, so check back in for news on how we are supporting the communities that we work with.

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