The coronavirus pandemic has brought the world to a halt. For children, the impact has been particularly devastating.
India has the largest child population in the world -- 472 million -- many of whom are going through the pandemic without a roof on their head. Many are missing out on learning and are out of school, many more have been pushed into poverty, are engaged in child labour, and facing violence and abuse.
According to estimates, nearly 321 million Indian children are away from classrooms and have been advised online or distance learning. But in a country with already dismal learning levels and low internet use, how many children can actually stop the lockdown from affecting their learning?
Hope In The Time Of Coronavirus
Thanks to supporters like you, Sunaina will not be among girls who will lose out on their learning due to the digital divide and discrimination.
You know, it has not been an easy journey for Sunaina in the year gone by. First she struggled with illness and treatment, missing school for months. As she recovered and was ready to get back to school and friends, the pandemic brought its own countless challenges.
While we know there is a higher risk of children not returning to school or dropping out for a long period; this is especially true for girls.
Sunaina is among the fortunate few.
As mentioned in our last update, Sunaina was enrolled in Prerna school for girls, which is a part of The Study Hall Foundation in Lucknow. Committed to bringing children back to learning mode, the school decided to model digital learning through on call classes with children from marginalised communities.
We hit another roadblock. The mobile phone, mostly with Sunaina’s father, interrupted her classes and her attendance remained irregular in the first month.
We know, only 14.9 percent rural households have internet access, which is posing a challenge for millions of children in India.
Save the Children, along with the school, acted immediately to ensure Sunaina had uninterrupted access to learning.
Through your donations, we have now provided Sunaina with a NOKIA smartphone and added calling and Internet packages along with mobile applications like WhatsApp, Zoom and others for attending online classes.
The school Principal has been kind enough to depute two dedicated teachers and one mentor who will regularly follow up on the progress Sunaina is making.
Thank you for joining us and helping us rewrite the future of children like Sunaina.
With supporters like you, our partners Save the Children and their teams on the ground, are reaching out to children like Sunaina to ensure that their childhood is not robbed by this pandemic.
12-year-old Sunaina Rawat, from an Uttar Pradesh village, is determined to become a doctor
Sunaina says she wishes to become a doctor because her fellow villagers can't afford healthcare expenses
Hundreds of you came forward and donated so generously for Sunaina’s education
She has now joined Prerna Girls School in Lucknow, 35 km from her home
Sunaina loves her new school and is working hard to catch up with the rest of the class
Thank you for helping Sunaina Rawat, the 12-year-old from Uttar Pradesh who is determined to become a doctor and help her village.
Hundreds of you donated generously for Sunaina's education, helping us raise Rs. 31,54,879. Her family, her village and so many others are humbled and grateful for your support, which has also helped her 11-year-old brother Ashish, who now attends a new school with her.
NDTV's campaign for Sunaina started in May; in July, she was admitted to the Prerna Girls School (run by Study Hall Education Foundation) in Lucknow, 35 km from her home.
She is in Class 6 and enjoying all her subjects. Her brother has also started going to the same school as her - this ensures minimal disruption and emotional displacement.
A special van has been arranged to pick her and her brother up from home at 10 am. They reach school at 11:30 am and attend tuition for English and Maths between 12 pm and 1:30 pm. They then attend regular classes from 1:30 pm to 6 pm. The van drops them back home.
When NDTV met Sunaina at her new school two weeks ago, this is what she said: "I like coming to school. Teachers are helping me catch up with the course-work. Only when I work hard will I achieve my dreams of becoming a doctor."
The school's principal, full of praise for the young girl, says, "Sunaina is very enthusiastic and is picking up very fast. We are working on developing her basic skills in English, Hindi and Maths and are happy to see that though there is a lot she has to still learn, she is now catching up with her classmates in Class 6."
Your money is being used to pay for Sunaina and Ashish's school fees, tuition, transport, school uniform, books and stationery.
In this campaign, the knowledge partner is "Save the Children" (Bal Raksha Bharat), an NGO which is handling the logistics and co-ordination with Sunaina's school. Founded in 1919, Save the Children is celebrating 100 years of working to ensure that every child can achieve their true potential. In India, they operate across 19 states and are one of the largest child rights organisations that ensures every child survives, learns and is protected from violence and harm.
Thank you again for your effort in educating Doctor Sunaina. We'll keep you posted.
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