Mumbai organisation to fund education of 400 kids who lost parents to Covid-19

Education of over 400 children, who have lost both their parents to coronavirus across Maharashtra, will be funded by crowdsourcing the expenses from citizens, in an initiative taken up by Project Mumbai, a not for profit organisation, in coordination with the state government

Education of over 400 children, who have lost both their parents to coronavirus across Maharashtra, will be funded by crowdsourcing the expenses from citizens, in an initiative taken up by Project Mumbai, a not for profit organisation, in coordination with the state government. A formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the state government and Project Mumbai on Tuesday.

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Project Mumbai will also give free of cost internet data To over 2.41 lakh children studying in Mumbai’s municipal schools, who have been attending online classes during the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic. The organisation has tied up with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and school principals of all municipal schools have begun to send information about verified mobile numbers of their students, along with the service provider for each number.

In the second case, families or relatives of such children can approach women and child development officer or district collector, who will prepare a social investigation report, verify the child’s status and details, and submit it to Project Mumbai. The organisation will reach out to the school and pay the fees directly.

This project will take place in two phases. The first phase is for children who have lost both parents due to Covid-19, and the second phase is for children who have lost one parent to Covid-19.

Shishir Joshi, from Project Mumbai, said, “We have come across a case that stands out. A child, who previously lost both the parents to Covid-19, has now lost the legal guardian, the grandmother. Project Mumbai will fund the education for this child as well. Our effort is to ensure no child is deprived of education and continuity of her/his schooling in the as-is form. Technology support and other facilities will be provided to these children on a case to case basis.” Money will not be handed to the children’s family, to ensure transparency.”

Over 12,000 children have lost at least one parent to Covid-19 and over 400 have lost both parents to the infection across Maharashtra.

The organisation is also setting up a toll-free number to counsel such children and their relatives and families (1800-102-4040) and will also have a segment to counsel cases of child abuse.

In the case of their second initiative, over two lakh students will be provided with internet data.

Joshi said, “Every child needs about 1.5 GB data per day. We are tying up with vendors of service providers to provide internet data packs for the next three months. Hopefully, after that, the situation may improve, or we will continue with the data packs.”

In a letter written to principals of municipal schools on June 28, BMC’s education department directed them to compile details of all students, verify their phone number, and check if they need an internet data pack top up; and to submit a detailed list of these students and their phone numbers to the organisation.

On June 8, BMC’s education department wrote to the organisation and tied up with them for providing internet data to municipal school students.