1m meals for excluded women & children

When “Rekha” (name changed), age 32, came to the Apne Aap community center this quarter, she was no longer facing the acute starvation crisis that first brought many women to us during Covid. But her recovery remained fragile. A survivor of sex trafficking and mother of two children, ages 9 and 13, Rekha was still struggling to pay rent, buy medicines, and keep her children in school. Her daughter had missed classes because of recurring fever, while her son needed notebooks and access to a computer for homework.

During this reporting period, Rekha’s family received monthly food rations, essential medicines, hygiene supplies, sanitary pads, school materials, and access to the community computer and Wi-Fi hub. Our field worker helped her visit a local clinic, update identity documents, and join a women’s self-help group connected to small livelihood opportunities. By the end of the quarter, her daughter had received treatment, both children were attending learning sessions regularly, and Rekha had begun part-time income work through community referrals.

Rekha’s progress reflects the work carried out across the project this quarter. During the last three months, 2,340 women and 3,980 children received food support in red-light areas, migrant slums, and refugee communities. The children supported ranged from early childhood to adolescence, with many between the ages of 6 and 16 and at high risk of school dropout because of poverty, illness, migration, and stigma. Apne Aap also distributed 4,760 hygiene and medicine kits, including soap, sanitary pads, basic medicines, and other essential supplies.

Health access remained a major activity. This quarter, Apne Aap coordinated 287 hospital referrals and vaccination appointments for women and children who otherwise faced barriers to public health systems. Follow-up support helped reduce repeat medical crises for 173 women with chronic health needs. Field workers accompanied women to clinics, helped them understand medical instructions, and ensured that illness did not again push families into hunger, debt, or eviction.

Education recovery continued throughout the quarter. Apne Aap provided 1,120 children with school supplies, notebooks, learning materials, computer access, and Wi-Fi support. The team also helped 364 children who had previously dropped out return to school or non-formal education. Shared computers and Wi-Fi hubs allowed children from overcrowded homes to complete homework, access online learning, and stay connected to teachers.

This quarter shows how a project that began as a 180-day Covid emergency response in 2020 has become a practical recovery pathway. Through food, health care, hygiene, education, digital access, documentation, and livelihood linkages, Apne Aap helped women and children move from survival toward stability, safety, and independence.

Links:

• http://www.apneaap.org