Orphanages immensely hurt by lockdown

Nihad Amani

Hyderabad:  One of the hardest-hit groups during lockdown is perhaps that of orphanages.

According to the Child Welfare Department of Government of Telangana, there are 446 child care institutions in the state out of which only 48 are registered. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 children in the age group of 8-18 years are under the care of these institutions.  

The running of these institutions is based on the funds and donations from various organizations, individuals and philanthropists.

“In view of the lockdown, they are deprived of basic items such as food grains, cooking oil, soaps, toothpaste, talcum powder, sanitary napkins and so on. They also do not have access to masks, sanitizers, and so on that have been recommended for use by health experts and also the government,” said Prof. P L Vishweshwer Rao, Vice President, Telangana Jana Samiti.

“The children were provided with lunch at the government school but the lockdown had restricted it as well resulting in difficulty in providing food to the children,” said the officials of the Helping Hand Humanity, Erragadda.

“Moreover, we would get enough funds during the Ramadan time which I probably feel we wouldn’t as there is a financial crisis everywhere,” said a person who is working with the New Age Welfare Society, Malakpet.

“We have also restricted the entry of people in the orphanages as a preventive measure; which somewhere had resulted in disrupting the collection of donations,” said Grace Children Home.

If the lockdown continues even for two weeks then the charitable organizations would be facing greater problems. People who are working with these organizations said that the role of the government in stopping necessary help to these agencies has become a massive hurdle. “We are looking at bleak times. May God helps us,” a senior philanthropist said.