Satyam, 8 years old, is a student of our GyanSetu center in Nabipanah, a village 33 km outside of Lucknow. He lives with his brother (16) and grandmother. Satyam lost his father when he was younger. After the mishap, his mother started a roadside tea stall and his brother got a job as a small-time caterer on a contractual basis to support the family. Things only got worse when his mother met with an accident. Despite the fact that the family gave up their life savings for her treatment, she eventually succumbed to her injuries on Mar 20, leaving Satyam’s brother as the sole breadwinner of the family. The recent pan-India lockdown has taken away their only source of income to sustain their livelihood.

Our GyanSetu team reached out to Satyam and his family to know of their well-being. They realized that the family was in dire need of food, on the brink of starvation. For now, our center has donated a few essential items to help Satyam and his family get by. Someone from our team is constantly in touch with them to make sure they are able to make ends meet. The team has also spoken to the local Pradhan (head of the village), who assured us he would make arrangements to help the family at this time.

Because the populations SHEF serves are particularly vulnerable in the current situation, our teachers and staff are reaching out to students on a regular basis to check on their safety and well-being. In this way, our teachers are also able to assess the overall situation in these communities and ascertain which needs are most pressing. Much like Satyam and his family, the vast majority are facing food shortages as a result of the lockdown, which has left so many without work and with little means to sustain themselves at this critical time.

We are currently working to provide essential food items to these children and their families, especially as we anticipate conditions worsening as the lockdown continues. If you wish to join our efforts.
Please contact Siddharth at siddharth@studyhallfoundation.org

Stay safe and healthy.