As 2020 draws to a close, a time for giving

We are halfway through December 2020 and for many, the end of the year couldn’t come quickly enough. 2020 has been the year of the COVID 19 pandemic. It has been extremely difficult for people all over the world. Almost 70 million (7 crores) have been infected and 1.6 million lost their lives. India alone witnessed around 1 crore infected and over 1.5 lakh casualties.

There were moments that filled us with sadness, anxiety and hopelessness. But, there were also those when silver linings appeared on the edges of the darkest clouds. There was selfless giving, altruism and people lending a shoulder to others. Principal among them were the frontline warriors – the doctors, nurses, health, sanitation and hygiene workers – who selflessly confronted the human impact of the pandemic for the benefit of one and all.

While most of us have coped so far with little or no major suffering, there are millions who have been less fortunate. Stories and images – of migrants who walked hundreds of kilometres along highways, of an estimated 122 million who lost their jobs which have not yet been restored, of daily wage earners who were without livelihoods and hence without food, of thousands of children who missed schools and even online education due to lack of internet connectivity, of those who were not able to protect themselves for lack of resources – have filled the news media and through it, the public consciousness. There are still millions of Indians in similar and even more vulnerable situations, fighting for their survival every single day.

Help for Children in Need Foundation (HCNF), with support from all of you, has worked tirelessly to offer relief by distributing food kits, hygiene kits and extending educational support to the families of daily wage earners and the marginalized.

Currently HCNF is supporting 300 children in an open school arrangement in Delhi and over a 100 in Pune. There are similar requests from partner organisations in Ahmedabad, Pune, Delhi and other locations, particularly for support with educational inputs, access to the internet, digital connectivity and health support.

As we approach the end of the year, it presents another opportunity for all of us to open our hearts and be generous, to make the lives of these vulnerable children and families a little better. We request you to come forward in the spirit of giving and extend your support to help us to help children to continue their education and to grow up healthy to ensure a better future for all.