Emergency Aid in the Covid pandemic- South Asia

A letter from our parnter in India:

"Since colleges were running on and off due to coronavirus pandemic, regular activities did not take place in this period. When we look at case studies, these cases are similar, the socio-economic conditions miserable and the liquor consumption a horrible situation leading to tragedy and disintegrated families. The family relations are always strained and has an impact on children. Fortunately, in these cases, all the girls have developed a positive outlook towards education and hopes on bright future. Their determination is very strong and they are able to face all kinds of adverse situations. The fate of girl children, the struggles they have to face to continue their studies is remarkable. I am wonder stuck while translating how these girls are able to focus on education and come up with good performance. The women suffer when husbands are alive and continue to suffer after their death also, clearing their medical bills or debts. Running the house, of course, almost always remains their responsibility. It is really very prestigious project supporting girl children for higher education. 

KATE A. 

is the daughter of B. and C. and belongs to Kattakindapalli village  in Prakasam District. She is 19 years old and studying Intermediate second year in Government Junior College, Yarragonda Palem. She has taken (Bi-PC) Biology, Physics and Chemistry as subjects for her studies. She is a day-scholar and goes to college daily by auto to a distance of 5 kms from her village. She has to pay the Examination fee every year. She is good in Mathematics.

A.’s father slowly started consumption of alcohol along with other villagers and gradually it became a regular habit and then addiction. He was spending his earnings on liquor initially and after sometime, started snatching her mothers’ earnings too. Life turned out to be difficult for the family, for survival first and thereafter he used to quarrel and torture the family members. Her father met with an accident while driving drunk on a motorcycle and died on the spot. This happened when Athyusha was 10years old. She has a younger brother who is studying in the local school. Since there is no high school in the village, Athyusha joined the hostel for further studies.Her mother now has to look after the family and the debt husband left behind. She has to do more work in order to earn more income. So, she joined under a contractor to work and slowly developed illicit relationship with him. Knowing this, his parents were looking for a match for him. In this situation A.’s mother eloped with him. Athyusha was quite upset with these developments. Her brother is staying with grandmother and continuing the studies.In 2019 her grandmother died due to ill-health. Athyusha and her brother became orphans. They came back to the village and started staying in a slab house of their own which is built with the support of local Government and ASSIST. Not liking the idea of a teenager staying alone, her paternal aunt came and took away both the children to her village. There, with the help of relatives, her brother was admitted in a college. Athyusha was going for labour work along with her aunt. Meanwhile, ASSIST field staff came to know what all was happening with Athyusha and convinced her aunt and admitted her in Kasturba women’s college and provided her all the requirements. With the help of friends, she is gradually recovering from the trauma of the past. She likes to become nurse in future and help poor people who are not able to pay the fees.

A. is very much interested in studies and quite intelligent. She is always the topper in the class and especially fond of Mathematics