The world is facing an unprecedented challenge with communities and economies everywhere affected by the growing COVID-19 pandemic. India is also grappling with a deadly second wave of COVID-19. The number of people infected by COVID-19 in India crossed 20 million; nearly thirteen - months after the country reported its first case. India is also reporting fourth highest number of deaths in the world; everyday around 4 Lakh new cases are being reported. We must once again come together and support the vulnerable community fight this crisis.
The families of children with Deafblindness were slowly limping back to normalcy after recovering from the Covid Pandemic that hit last year. Once gain they are hit, this time with a more severe and infectious second wave of COVID-19. With disabled children at home, who often have co-morbidities, parents are forced to stay at home and often miss their daily wage earnings for fear of infection. Many areas have gone into lockdown situations as well. It is situation of fear and helplessness along with loss of livelihood for the families, some families are again struggling to arrange food, medicines and basic nutrition for their children and themselves.
As Sense India works with a very vulnerable group of beneficiaries, these kinds of challenging times make situations more serious for the family and the children. To provide immediate relief and support in these challenging times, Sense India has been working on the following areas.
1) Covid-19 protocol and general awareness to all family members/caregivers on Covid-19 symptoms, testing and treatment measures if tested positive
2) Helpline numbers of specialists and doctors who could cater to the communication challenges of deafblind children and provide support
3) Medicines for general preventive healthcare
4) Ration kits with essential food supply and hygiene products to last for a month
We want to reach out to 1500 families across India who have been identified and who are in immediate need of ration kits.
essential ration kits distributed to needy families of persons with deafblindness and multiple disabilities
adults with deafblindness and multiple disabilities received financial support and handholding to rebuild their income generation activity
families were provided with financial support to cope up with their loss of livelihood and reduced income during the pandemic
service users were supported to meet medicinal needs for 3 months
Sense India will support by providing receive necessary food provision in the form of ration kits. Medicines and other essentials to those families where there are single non-earning parent, fathers who have lost their job during lockdown, parents who themselves are aged and cannot step out. It will help them to meet their immediate need of having two meals a day to feed themselves and add-on their immunity to fight against the infectious and deadly pandemic and protect them from falling prey to COVID-19 due to malnourishment and ensure that they are able to sail through this challenging time. The ration kit contains the following medicines and essential items:
Ration Kit Item - Quantity
Wheat - 10 Kg, Rice - 10 Kg, Oil - 2 Litre, Moong Dal - 1 Kg, Tuvar Dal - 1 Kg, Turmeric Powder - 100 gm
Mixed Spices - 250 gm, Chilli Powder - 250 gm, Bathing Soap - 3 Pieces, Washing Soap - 3 Pieces
Chawanprash - 500 gm, Hand Sanitiser - 200 ml, Mask (3 layered) - 10 Nos., Milk powder - 500 gm
Medicine - Multivitamin and Vitamin C tablets