As the COVID pandemic grips the country and brings life as we know it to a grinding halt – disadvantaged families across the country are in a state of despair as basic food for survival becomes a challenge. In the village of Shivtola, deep inside the mica mining district of Koderma in Jharkhand – this is not simply a challenge but a thought that brings back horrific memories and panic.

1 year old Raj Kumar has been a healthy baby for the last 3 months. However, before that – like 47% of the children in this area – Raj Kumar was severely malnourished and would frequently fall ill. It took the project staff a Samarpan a while to convince his parents that the children needed attention and even more to ensure that he turned the corner and took his first steps towards good health. After spending 15 days in the nutritional rehabilitation centre once the child was back home – the project workers ensured that he received regular nutrition from the Anganwadi center. This therefore ensured that the child had access to a proper balanced meal and continued to improve. However, when COVID and the lockdown hit – overnight food resources became a challenge and Raj Kumar’s parents were worried that their son’s recovering health would take a slide down again.

However, the project workers reassured them and working with the concerned authorities, ensured that food was delivered to their home so that the children could continue to eat healthy while remaining safely at home.

Working with the Anganwadi staff – food materials for proper balanced nutrition was delivered home and maintaining social distancing the staff continued to monitor and help.

Even during these difficult times, Raj Kumar and 26 other children in his village have the assurance of a healthy childhood.