RAJ KUMAR
Kolkata, Oct 9: Writer, actor and child-rights activist Nandana Sen has partnered with ‘Save the Children’ to start a major campaign, under the hashtag #SaveSupportSecure, to protect children in West Bengal whose lives have been devastated by the combined impact of Covid-19 and Cyclone Yaas.
The campaign is designed to provide comprehensive support for at-risk children who have lost one or both parents in this time of dual crisis.
In the aftermath of the deadly second wave of #COVID19 & the devastating #CycloneYaas, extreme hunger, trafficking & exploitation could become the #NewNormal for many children in #WestBengal. We must take a step forward to #SaveSupportSecure their well-being ‘for a safe tomorrow’ pic.twitter.com/VTHNAZNKet
— Bal Raksha Bharat (@balrakshabharat) October 8, 2021
Sen spearheaded the initiative and committed to match the first INR 20 lakh of funds raised from other donors. The campaign will provide a safe living environment, food security, access to education and healthcare and psychosocial support to the deprived children of Bengal, who have been left orphaned, or abandoned and unprotected, because of the pandemic or the cyclone, or both.
Introducing the initiative, Nandana Sen said, “The past 18 months have been catastrophic for so many children in India, and nowhere has the crisis hit harder than in my beloved West Bengal. Save the Children and I have launched this campaign to ensure the safety and welfare of children in my home state whose lives have been torn apart by the deadly combination of Covid-19 and Cyclone Yaas.”
“These children, most of whom have lost one or both parents, their homes and essentially their lifelines, stand exposed to many forms of exploitation, including trafficking, child labour and child marriage. They need help now more than ever before, which is why I decided to partner with Save the Children to start this campaign for their protection. I wanted to focus my efforts in my home state of West Bengal because the crisis is particularly huge there”, she added.
2/2 If donating from 🇮🇳https://t.co/YuVxp1cHJk
International https://t.co/GhFIJOXgIL
Every little bit makes a big difference! I’ll be giving a shout-out to a donor each day here, randomly selected. Do donate & send this reply: “I donated. #SaveSupportSecure”@stc_india #COVID19— Nandana Sen (@nandanadevsen) October 6, 2021
At least two out of five girls are married before their legal age in West Bengal, and the figures for child labour have more than doubled in the state during the pandemic. At least 5 lakh children are engaged in child labour, placing West Bengal second among all states in India.
Yasmin Riaz, Director of Resource Mobilization, Save the Children India, in this regard said, “This year has been particularly tough for the children of West Bengal as they endured the double blow of the second wave of the pandemic and Cyclone Yaas. Together with Nandana Sen, we are committed to provide a safer tomorrow for the most vulnerable children in the state, so they get the chance of a better future.”
Save the Children, with their experience in responding to humanitarian crisis, has provided critical care and services to the most disadvantaged children and their families since the pandemic hit in 2020, reaching 5.57 lakh children.
