#Covid19ToolKit: Presenting Diverse and Relatable Scenarios Faced By Underserved Communities during Covid-19, these 5 films and 2 songs in 8 languages, guide community stakeholders to support families and children through extremely challenging times.

The second wave of the pandemic arrived in early 2021 after a year that was marked by reverse migration, loss of life, loss of livelihood, anxiety and fear. This time it was exponentially worse. The health care system stretched under unprecedented pressure as demand skyrocketed. We saw before our eyes, in our homes and communities, loss of life to an extent enough for us to know that we were living through an overwhelming tragic time. Young parents and breadwinners of families were severely affected by the second wave. Children were thrust into the role of caregivers, providers, and decision-makers for their families.

In underserved communities, the pandemic’s socioeconomic impact stands the chance of ending childhood completely for many. Away from school for almost two years, children continue to be at risk for school dropout, placing them at risk for child labour, child marriage, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking etc. Depleted household income, food shortage and stress, leave families with no choice but to expose children to extreme risks in their bids to survive. Hidden in the pandemic, lay a silent child rights emergency.

Based on ground experiences, child rights practitioners called for community-based monitoring and oversight of child rights. While the enormity of the problem is daunting given the size of India’s population, no problem is too big if we own it, break it down into manageable pieces, and find local solutions.

The child protection services (scheme), enables the implementation of the umbrella legislation for the protection of children in India, The Juvenile Justice (care and protection of children) Act, 2015, invokes citizens to form groups at the community level (Village/Ward Child Protection Committees {VCPC}) to work proactively to make communities safe spaces that nurture and protect childhood, linking with the child protection services when necessary. Many states such as Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan, UP, West Bengal, Orissa, and Tamil Nadu, among others and others have notified VCPC. However, these need strengthening and guidance.

In partnership with UNICEF, with cooperation with Childline India Foundation, Leher developed a multilingual audio-visual toolkit comprising 5 films and two songs in 8 languages, backed up with basic IEC material and a training of trainers manual. The aim of these 5 films is to help community members with guidance on how to mobilize themselves to support and manage children and families’ unmet needs both short and long term, linking them to services and the child protection system when necessary.

The tool kit is relevant for when in pandemic waves and as we lift ourselves out of the pandemic.

At a time when government systems are stretched, there is a need to create citizen-driven  supportive caring environments at the community level, to support families, so that children do not fall out of family and community safety nets, and are linked to the system when necessary in accordance with philosophy and provisions of child protection laws.

To know more about the films in different languages, the IEC material or the training of trainers manual, email us at contact@leher.org