UNICEF Day 2021: How UNICEF's Learning Initiatives Have Helped Jharkhand Slum Kids During COVID Times?

For Falak and Diwakar, youths in their early 20s, nothing is better than seeing the excitement in young children after they rush to greet them when they visit their community. The young kids belong to the slums of Jharkhand's Ranchi, where most of them either opted out of school due to prolonged school closures owing to the COVID-19 pandemic or due to the school fees which their parents could no longer afford.

The two volunteers are National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers, who have been part of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)'s HANSI initiative, which works on identifying slums in Ranchi and providing learning support to the underprivileged and marginalised children living in these areas. The initiative recruits 15 volunteers for each of the seven slums identified in the state, where these people visit and conduct classes for such students. In addition, they also counsel their parents on the importance of continuing education, according to UNICEF.

UNICEF started its work in India in 1949 with just three staff members and established an office in Delhi three years later. Currently, it advocates for the rights of the country's children in 16 states. Every year, UNICEF Day is observed on December 11 to raise awareness about saving children's lives by defending and helping them to fulfill their wishes. The day plays a significant role in raising awareness of the sustainable development of children. The aim is to eliminate hunger, violation of children's rights, and discrimination against race, region, or religion.

Effects Of Pandemic

Amongst the poorer families of Jharkhand, domestic abuse and alcoholism have been prevalent for many years. The pandemic has further deteriorated the situation. With no source of income, lockdowns have resulted in many migrant workers returning to their homes, while extended stays at home have accelerated these cases.

"It has been a toxic environment for most of the students who had to bear the brunt of this crisis while staying at home due to school closures," said Brajesh Kumar, Professor at Ranchi University.

The pandemic also caused fear among kids, who are now afraid to step out of their homes.

"Initially, they were not willing to meet anyone. We began helping the communities with the distribution of food, masks and other essential items, educated them about how the infection spreads and what measures could be taken to stay safe," Falak said. The 20-year-old has been an active NSS volunteer for the last three years and has been engaging in webinars organised by UNICEF throughout the pandemic on COVID-19 and related issues.

She explains how children entirely forgot what they had learnt due to the school closures. During her visits, they said that the kids did not know the basic alphabets. The first challenge was to help children get comfortable with the team, followed by assisting them to regain basic literacy skills.

"We started using stones to write on the ground and then slowly progressed to slates and notebooks. Now after five months, the children can write their names," the young volunteer said.

On the other hand, Diwakar uses creative ways to teach students. For example, he promises an apple to children who correctly spell a fruit's name. "I always wanted to do something for such kids. We could see the problem, but we didn't know the solution. After the deadly second wave of COVID-19, this initiative by UNICEF showed us the way to do something good for the underprivileged sector. UNICEF gave us tasks, now we allot learning tasks to these children," he said.

After the second wave of COVID-19 subsided, Diwakar and Falak, along with their fellow NSS volunteers, began visiting the slum of Sarna Toli in Ranchi. As the restrictions lifted, their primary focus has been to counsel parents to continue their children's education, as many families from this area could no longer afford school fees, mobile data packs for online classes, or private tuition due to increased unemployment and financial constraints.

Prasanta Dash, Chief Field Officer, UNICEF Jharkhand said that the organisation has been actively engaging with the youth of Jharkhand for the last two years. He said that youth are more powerful and active when we involve them in civic activities, which later benefits the community.

"It is essential to engage with young boys and girls in a state like Jharkhand, which is impacted by conflicts. The amount of work they have done during the pandemic is commendable – from teaching children, to providing oxygen cylinders," the officer said.

'Bal Patrakars'

However, it is not just the youth who are helping revive education for students. In another UNICEF initiative, "Bal Patrakars" or "Child Reporters" of Ranchi are also working tirelessly to counsel parents and children on the importance of sending children to schools. In partnership with Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), this initiative by UNICEF has been training kids from classes 6 to 8 to become 'child reporters' in the state since 2009.

Fourteen-year-old Vikram Solanki, a class 9 student, is one such brave child reporter. Vikram and his group of fellow reporters had noticed several young kids working in brick kilns and approached their families on the issue. They counselled the parents on the adverse effects of child labour, the repercussions under law, and the importance of getting their kids educated.

"Initially, the parents were hesitant. They had a financial burden and no one to help the sick and elderly at home. That is why they sent their children to work in the brick kilns. After much effort and continuous counselling, they listened to us and started sending their children to school," Solanki said.

The child reporters are trained on the four pillars of child rights – right to survival, development, protection and participation . In addition, they are encouraged to spread awareness on child rights in their communities, including the largely prevalent issues of child marriage and child labour. Till now, more than 30,000 children's capacities have been built so that they can express their concerns and speak for their rights.

Throughout the pandemic, these child reporters have also been a crucial force in identifying children who dropped out of school and helping them re-enrol. Some reporters have also conducted classes for younger children in open areas following social distancing, masking and other safety measures.

Also Read: Remembering Subramania Bharathi, The Tamil Poet Who Became Symbol Of National Unity