By Ellen Fish | Director, Friends of Tilonia, Inc.
In March as the global pandemic spread and India began its lockdown, the students at the Kaliyachak Girls' School in rural Bihar, were invited to school to receive soap and instructions in health and hygiene practices to protect them and their families from catching or spreading the disease.
Use of masks or face coverings, hand washing, physical distancing and cough etiquette were taught as well as helping the students learn what the symptoms of the virus are and what to do if they have them.
Samaj Kalyan Mandal, the local community NGO that manages the school, also went to the panchayat (the local political representatives) to advocate on behalf of the community and ensure that all of the families, regardless of whether they had ration cards or not, received the monthly supplies from the public distribution system.
In spite of this distribution, malnutrition is growing. The daily laborers - now without wages - cannot afford vegetables or protein. For less than $1 per family per week, we can ensure that each family can afford vegetables and protein.
Samaj Kalyan Mandal is working with the community and the children to not stimatize people who have or had COVID-19, nor to stigmatize any group of people for its spread. FORRAD is working with Samaj Kalyan Manda to develop social media campaign to educate and counter any false rumours.
Please provide any support you can during this emergency. Your contribution will help provide food, soap and masks to keep the students and their families healthy.
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By Ellen Fish | Director, Friends of Tilonia, Inc.
By Ellen Fish | Director
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