COVID- 19 and SUTRA's Response
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COVID-19 & SUTRA’S INTERVENTION TO ENHANCE IMMUNITY AMONG CHILDREN OF MIGRANT WORKERS’ FAMILIES TO FIGHT EXPECTED COVID-19 SECOND WAVE
April 15, 2020 to June 15, 2020.
Introduction
As Himachal Pradesh entered the Take Off stage in its Economy, it felt labour scarcity and thus large number of workers from various Indian states entered the labour market. These migrant workers were mainly involved in construction work – organised and informal sector- and also in the upcoming industries on the boarder of Himachal Pradesh.
Around Jagjit Nagar there are two types of migrant labours- one working in large construction company-DLF and second working with village based contractors (Thekedars) – many Thekedars were essentially masons who employed 2 to 5 labourers.
As COVID-19 started spreading, the Government of India announced with a 4 hour notice National Lockdown on the evening of 24th March, 2020. This created large scale problems for the migrant workers whose only source of livelihood was to work as daily wage labourers. Even though they had some savings to tide up during first Lockdown of 19 days, as the Lockdown period was extended; the migrant labourers started facing multiple problems essentially of lack of food grains. Secondly the scarcity of food (due to lack of purchasing power) also started impacting children.
Meanwhile Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and NITI Aayog appeal reached us asking us to undertake interventions to mitigate the hardships of Migrant labourers.
Thus, SUTRA in the second half of April, 2020 decided to make interventions. To make our intervention meaningful, we first conducted a situational analysis through rapid survey. The survey had shown that there are 92 families, mainly from Gumla District of Jharkhand working as construction labour in Jagjit Nagar, Chamiya, Gaungari and Krishangarh Gram Panchayats. Out of these 49 were employed by DLF and rest were employed by small time Thekedars who themselves became unemployed.
There are two pregnant women whose husbands were stuck at their native villages and there was no one to support them nor did they receive any Health Check-ups. There were 42 male and equal number of female children who had not received any kind of support from government run Day-care centres or schools.
Based on this SUTRA decided to make following interventions:
The Programme
We appealed to friends for donations to kick start the Programme and received a positive response. We selected young women from each settlement to act as Community Volunteers.
Of course there were multiple supplies depending upon the need.
We were able to mobilize the Local Health Worker to provide Health Check up to both the pregnant women and we are glad to write that both women had Institutional delivery and have healthy babies.
From the Month of June when the Lockdown restrictions were loosened, some families moved out and at present we have 77 Children as well as 6 pregnant women and 2 lactating mothers.
As donations poured in, we have added one Banana to daily intake for children and pregnant / lactating mothers (in addition to one boiled egg and Vit C Tablet).
The Current Situation:
As the construction work has started since June 01, 20202 and all the families are getting work, we felt that there is no need to provide any food-grains to any families (unless there is an emergency).
However, most of the families have received advances / loans from their contractors for two months and the Contractors are recovering the same now.
We would like to continue with Nutrition programme for children and pregnant / lactating mothers, till end of September.
Thus, we need to request all donors –especially Barefoot College, Tilonia- to approve the changes in expenditure.
Below is the Statement of Accounts giving information on Expenditure incurred till June 15, 2020.
The second Table shows proposed plan to spend the available funds as well as donations required (if the programme is to be continued till end of Sept 2020).
April 15, 2020 to June 15, 2020.
Introduction
As Himachal Pradesh entered the Take Off stage in its Economy, it felt labour scarcity and thus large number of workers from various Indian states entered the labour market. These migrant workers were mainly involved in construction work – organised and informal sector- and also in the upcoming industries on the boarder of Himachal Pradesh.
Around Jagjit Nagar there are two types of migrant labours- one working in large construction company-DLF and second working with village based contractors (Thekedars) – many Thekedars were essentially masons who employed 2 to 5 labourers.
As COVID-19 started spreading, the Government of India announced with a 4 hour notice National Lockdown on the evening of 24th March, 2020. This created large scale problems for the migrant workers whose only source of livelihood was to work as daily wage labourers. Even though they had some savings to tide up during first Lockdown of 19 days, as the Lockdown period was extended; the migrant labourers started facing multiple problems essentially of lack of food grains. Secondly the scarcity of food (due to lack of purchasing power) also started impacting children.
Meanwhile Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and NITI Aayog appeal reached us asking us to undertake interventions to mitigate the hardships of Migrant labourers.
Thus, SUTRA in the second half of April, 2020 decided to make interventions. To make our intervention meaningful, we first conducted a situational analysis through rapid survey. The survey had shown that there are 92 families, mainly from Gumla District of Jharkhand working as construction labour in Jagjit Nagar, Chamiya, Gaungari and Krishangarh Gram Panchayats. Out of these 49 were employed by DLF and rest were employed by small time Thekedars who themselves became unemployed.
There are two pregnant women whose husbands were stuck at their native villages and there was no one to support them nor did they receive any Health Check-ups. There were 42 male and equal number of female children who had not received any kind of support from government run Day-care centres or schools.
Based on this SUTRA decided to make following interventions:
- Mobilize State machinery to provide food-grains to migrant labourers and where families are large and insufficient supply has been done or Government was not able to reach out, undertake immediate relief work
- To increase immunity among children and pregnant women, distribution of boiled eggs (vit D) and tablets such as Celin / Limcee should be undertaken
- IFA tablets for pregnant women (mainly to be organized through Public Health care facilities) as well as organizing regular check-up by Local Health Worker
The Programme
We appealed to friends for donations to kick start the Programme and received a positive response. We selected young women from each settlement to act as Community Volunteers.
- On the International Labour Day May 01, 2020, we started distributing one boiled egg and Vit C tablet to all the 84 children and 2 pregnant women.
- We were able to mobilize State Government machinery through the good office of Local Revenue Officer (Nayab Tehsildar) to provide food-grains to most families. SUTRA also undertook the distribution of food grains to cover shortfall-
- 5 Families in April
- 2 Families in May
- One family in June .
Of course there were multiple supplies depending upon the need.
We were able to mobilize the Local Health Worker to provide Health Check up to both the pregnant women and we are glad to write that both women had Institutional delivery and have healthy babies.
From the Month of June when the Lockdown restrictions were loosened, some families moved out and at present we have 77 Children as well as 6 pregnant women and 2 lactating mothers.
As donations poured in, we have added one Banana to daily intake for children and pregnant / lactating mothers (in addition to one boiled egg and Vit C Tablet).
The Current Situation:
As the construction work has started since June 01, 20202 and all the families are getting work, we felt that there is no need to provide any food-grains to any families (unless there is an emergency).
However, most of the families have received advances / loans from their contractors for two months and the Contractors are recovering the same now.
We would like to continue with Nutrition programme for children and pregnant / lactating mothers, till end of September.
Thus, we need to request all donors –especially Barefoot College, Tilonia- to approve the changes in expenditure.
Below is the Statement of Accounts giving information on Expenditure incurred till June 15, 2020.
The second Table shows proposed plan to spend the available funds as well as donations required (if the programme is to be continued till end of Sept 2020).
Receipt |
Rupees |
Head |
Total |
From SUTRA Reserve Fund |
5000 |
Egg + Banana |
24500 |
Suport From Friends |
39601 |
Medicine |
5020 |
Barefoot Inteernational, Tilonia |
63150 |
Admin exp |
900 |
Donation from Flying Angel |
15000 |
Vehicle/TA |
350 |
Ration |
4429 |
||
Ration exp. Tilonia |
2112 |
||
Total |
122751 |
Closing Balance |
85440 |
Receipt |
Rupees |
Proposed Plan of Expenditure |
Total |
Opening Balance |
85440 |
egg+ Banana exp. 77+7=84*10=840*107 |
89880 |
Vit C Tab. 77+7=84*1.50=126*107 |
13482 |
||
Sanitary Pads |
7000 |
||
Admin Exp 15% |
15504 |
||
Total |
125866 |
||
85440 |
Additional Funds required |
40426 |
