Though loss of life and livelihood have been the most severe effects of the pandemic, other aspects have been affected too. Children’s education in particular has faced serious disruption countrywide, with street children facing the most difficulty. Access to education has been an uphill task for underprivileged children even in the best of times, and the pandemic has worsened this significantly. Fortunately, certain NGOs and organisations, such as Wishes and Blessings, have taken up the mantle for this cause through their ‘Street to School’ virtual programme which began in April this year. Additionally, they have also introduced various Covid-relief measures to address the needs of the underprivileged sections of society.
Founded by Dr Geetanjali Chopra, an academician, researcher, columnist, and philanthropist, Wishes and Blessings is a unique platform that connects donors to beneficiaries from the lower strata of society. By dedicating themselves to six causes including education, nutrition, care for elders, relief, customisable charity and happiness, they have proved to be long-standing good Samaritans in Delhi, Assam, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. “The philosophy behind our enterprise is simple—many of us have unfulfilled wishes while some of us can help others fulfil their wishes, in exchange for which we receive blessings. Hence the name, ‘Wishes and Blessings’,” shares Dr Chopra.
The NGO began by working with visually impaired children, and expanded to include daily meal programs, old age homes and shelters for the homeless. One of its most successful initiatives was ‘Street to School’, launched in 2016, which provided education to street children in physical centres located in Delhi-NCR. Through this programme, a number of children were sent to formal schools, with students excelling in both academics and extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, with the pandemic, everything came to a halt. “When we opened centres after 8 months in January 2021, we realised that our kids living on the streets and slums had already forgotten basic concepts and book knowledge was far behind,” says Dr Chopra.
That was when the NGO decided to continue the training, guidance and counselling of their children online, by converting their day care centres to virtual classrooms. Modules are shared via WhatsApp, covering all the formal subjects and art and craft activities. The teachers attached to Wishes and Blessings share videos explaining the lessons and then assign worksheets to the children. “In some cases, children do not have access to the Internet, so we encourage them to sit in groups and complete the assignments together”, adds Dr Chopra.
The Wishes and Blessings team formulates educational modules that encourage consistent and high-quality engagement for the children. One-on-one sessions are also held for children who require additional guidance and counselling during these tough times—both intellectually and emotionally. Currently, there are 100 children being taught under the ‘Street to School’ Programme of Wishes and Blessings in Delhi.
In addition to its philanthropic educational activities, the NGO has stayed true to its commitment to aid the needy and destitute during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have been providing medical essentials such as oximeters, paracetamol, masks and sanitisers to shelter homes in Sarai Kale Khan, Delhi Gate, Munirka, Safdarjung, and Okhla amongst other areas of Delhi. They have also launched free transportation services for Covid positive patients from their residences to the closest hospital or treatment facility.
Talking about the importance of the ambulance services, Dr Chopra says, “During this crisis, the need of the hour is to ensure that Covid+ patients reach hospitals and receive treatment as promptly as possible. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of ambulance services that the underprivileged can make use of, especially those that are equipped with oxygen support. Our services provide aid to this demographic, completely free of cost.”
Wishes and Blessings has been at the forefront of the fight against Covid, having launched their Covid Relief Project back in March 2020, when the first lockdown was announced. Since then, their team has served over 20,00,000 meals, distributed over 70,000 dry ration kits and provided over 23,000 hygiene kits to the beneficiaries. It is these good Samaritans that keep one’s faith in humanity alive.
The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.