223 struggling tribal families in Tirupati provided relief by SOS Children’s Villages to Cope with Lockdown

• Daily wage earners were affected due to closure of construction work and factories 
• Hygiene kits provided to more than 900 women and children 
• Additional income for families by growing vegetables

Tirupati, July 2020 –More than 223underprivileged families from tribal communities – including 900 women and children – have been provided relief by SOS Children’s Villages in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh to help them survive the Covid-19 crisis. The much-needed assistance has come at an opportune time when most of the families and daily wage earners who find their daily bread from daily income, were affected due to lockdown eventually leading to low food availability in families.

The SOS Children’s Villages team distributed hygiene kits among the families and created awareness about Covid-19. The team went door-to-door and explained the disease and the precautions. Posters in vernaculars were prepared and distributed in villages, regarding the same.

Said Secretary General of SOS Children’s Villages of India, Mr. Sudarshan Suchi, “The lockdown severely disrupted regular income-generation activities of these families of landless migrant laborers. The children were badly affected. With no income source, there was an acute scarcity of food and other essential provisions at their homes. Their emotional and psychological needs were immense, as they felt vulnerable and isolated. Their daily routine was halted due to the strict lockdown norms. The children were also fearful of their nutrition intake and felt helpless.”

SOS Children’s Villages team has also been providing tele-counseling support to families and children with the help of professional counselors. Further, the team facilitated online tuition support for 23 children appearing for the 10th Class Board Examination.

The hygiene kit given to each family was meant to meet the safety needs of members, especially children. This included handwashing soaps and facemasks.A team of doctors and nurses educated the migrant families on social distancing norms, wearing of masks and handwashing.

The families developed kitchen gardens for growing tomato, spinach, bitter gourd, brinjal, and other green vegetables for self-use or selling.

Said Mr. Sudarshan Suchi,” These are testing times for the whole nation. The migrant families are the worst affected. One way to support them is to ensure they get some basic income and enough food and do not contract the Covid-19 infection. Their foremost challenge is to continue providing adequately for their children, and SOS Children’s Villages is fully supporting them in this. We are determined to ensure that children do not lose out to this pandemic or otherwise.”

About SOS Children’s Villages of India

Established in 1964, SOS Children’s Villages of India protects the best interests of children who do not have a family or those who are at risk of losing one. It focuses on providing children a loving home, keeping their families together, and supporting young people on their path to independence. It directly touches the lives of 25,000 children every year through its operations in 32 locations across 22 States/UTs in India. It also advocates for the rights of 20 million children and young people to lay the foundations for a brighter future.