Please give what you are able to the children at Child Haven.
|
Fortunately, our Children’s Homes for formerly destitute children in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, have for the most part remained free of the Coronavirus for much of the past year. As the pandemic grew in intensity, all the Homes instituted careful safety measures including washing hands often, children not going out and staff members leaving the Homes as little as possible.
The children and staff have taken part in numerous workshops about covid safety as are the college students pictured below at our Kaliyampoondi Home. They are taking a special class about how to stay safe when the lockdown ends and they are able to enter college. There has also been regular testing when available such as that shown here at our Meu Home.
However, several weeks ago at our Hyderabad Home, as cases in the surrounding community spiked to 7,000 per day, we discovered that 5 staff members and one 8 year-old child tested positive for the virus. We immediately set up an isolation/treatment area in some new staff housing which was completed last year. It is a small building with 4 apartments which sits across the garden from the children’s dormitories. A careful protocol was put in place with regular testing of temperature, and pulse, and careful food delivery in consultation with our local Doctor and resident nurse. The child and all but one of the staff members have recovered, and are now doing well.
Very sadly though, our book-keeper, Mr. Rao, who has been with us for 11 years, did not show signs of improvement. With great difficulty, our staff and one of our former students, who now works as a nurse in a local hospital, were able to find him a hospital bed and he was placed on oxygen and later a respirator. We were all devastated when word came that he had passed away after several days in the hospital. Mr. Rao was a careful and strict book-keeper, a kind and gentle man who enjoyed walking and loved pizza. His passing is a great loss. A memorial service, with staff and children sharing memories, was held for Mr. Rao at the Home. A tree will be planted in his memory when that is possible.
Outside of our Homes, we have also had multiple reports of family members of staff and students becoming infected by the virus. Among them, the husband of our assistant manager in Hyderabad was hospitalized and released. Also affected was the husband of one of our graduates who received her nursing degree from Child Haven and now works as a nurse in a remote district of Nepal. Her husband became infected and began to have respiratory issues. It was only with great difficulty and expense that she was able to secure oxygen to assist with his recovery. A staff member at another Home tested positive after she went to visit her sister, whom she hadn’t seen for a year. She is recovering well in a local hospital.
To help assist with these and other vital coronavirus related health costs and expenses in our greater Child Haven family, we have established an Emergency Coronavirus Relief Fund. Please give what you are able.
This pandemic is far from over. Cases are mounting in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. What remains clear is that our Homes with good nutrition, safe practices, and good medical care, are the safest place for our children and staff to be right now.
We would most especially like to thank out dedicated staff who have done their utmost to keep our precious children safe and well during this challenging and dangerous time. Deep thanks as well to our generous supporters for making their care possible.
Our hearts go out to all who have lost loved ones or are experiencing the many other great hardships caused by this global pandemic. Together we will overcome this crisis as best we are able.
Robin Cappuccino
Hand-washing practice at our Hyderabad Home
Yoga in a pandemic on the rooftop of our Maitreya Home in Delhi
Covid safety workshop for college students at our Kaliyampoondi Home
Testing at our Meu Home
This is one of our Girl’s Caregivers, Umadevi, being checked and served by staff member Gopal at our Hyderabad Home. She has now recovered.
Mr. Rao giving an award on Children's Day
Remembrance for Mr. Rao
Our newest five children came just a few days ago, to our Kathmandu Home. We expect there will be many more in the days ahead. Here are two of them with Kanya, the coordinator of all our programs in Nepal. Kanya has given loving care to our children for the past 25 years.
Exuberantly clean! - Savarsai
We’re all one family - Kaliyampoondi
