5 trends in the urban poor's response to the pandemic have seeds of solution for the future.

With almost 17% of the urban population across India living in informal settlements, the question arises, has the pandemic impacted us all the same way? What are the particular trends and characteristics that have been seen in the urban poor over the last year and how has the second wave been different?
We decided to seek answers to these questions with a survey of the urban poor from amongst our beneficary base of over 2000 families. Some of the findings reveal interesting trends which must be seriously explored as they hold the key to solving many age old sticky problems.
1.      Education: schooling in the time of Covid19 for underprivileged children. In an endeavor to keep learning ongoing, across the nation, the attempt has been to transition rapidly to online education. Where this has happened successfully, it has led to a long overdue transformation of day to day learning. It has resulted in enhanced learning outcomes for the students by amalgamating learning modules, pupils and technology. Physical location of the tutor and tutee has become inconsequential. Equipped with a simple operative device, given the incentive of data pack recharge on attendance basis and provided appropriate instruction regarding the workings of the device, any child can access quality education across the nation. Be it in a metropolitan, or in the village. This truly is the best way forward to a knowledgeable and empowered India.
Digitisation of education and its delivery through hybrid models which incorporate online modes must be explored in all seriousness as solution of providing access to quality education in rural India.
2.      Daily nutrition: the criticality of access. Per latest reports, the pandemic has left the urban poor in India more bereft of nutrition than their rural counterparts. A large section of rural residents could cushion the blow of pandemic-driven economic disruption due to food grain via the public distribution system (PDS). The urban poor’s access to such ration, however has been minimal. Having provided the parents of our students with dry ration boxes on a monthly basis with the help of our donors, we were able to gauge the difference this basic food security has made to their day to day lives. A majority of destitute families lost their primary source of income due to the lockdown. This has led to tremendous emotional and financial stress. In the words of Naushad Alam, father of Aftab, a student of Pratishthan Learning Centre at Lotus Petal “The boxes of rice, grains, oil, food ingredients helped us out a lot. They prevented our family from going to bed hungry, which we would have had to do as I lost my job as a cook and had suffered a severe hand injury in the early days of the lockdown and was unable to find alternate employment.” Lack of income due to the lockdown may result in further dependency on food from government or charitable organizations and if this is not taken seriously, this may result in a bigger outbreak of multiple diseases caused due to nutritional deficiency.
The provision of supplementary nutrition in the form of dry ration provides a dignified source of food to those from low income families who otherwise would hesitate to stand in the queue for cooked meals boxes.
3.      Migration: an unfortunate reality. In wave one of the pandemic, migrant workers, who are anchors of the underserved population, started returning to their native villages due to fear, anxiety and hunger. Most of them were daily wagers and did not maintain a financial buffer for such an unprecedented, uncertain situation. The unorganised sector in India accounts for over 90% of the workforce and the majority of them are inter / intra state migrants. As normalcy returned towards the mid of last year, reverse migration commenced. There seemed to be hope that once things get back to relative balance in cities, they would be able to find employment again in these low paying yet foundational jobs in society. As the second wave rages, the migrant informal workforce, after having faced a year of deprivation and uncertainty, is better prepared and are depicting relatively well thought out exit strategies from cities. In ceratin cases migration has happened to areas which are not under lockdown. A wage support plan for the vulnerable may be a possible solution to this mass exodus to and from cities.
This may involve mapping their skills in a verifed database which can help them have a wide market access opportunties.
4.      Financial vulnerabilities: Inability to avail relief. Informal sector workers have suffered the maximum financial brunt of the pandemic. Job loss and monetary insecurity has been a harsh actuality for most in the marginalised communities. This has catalysed a new pattern of acquiring help. With bottlenecks in disbursements of loans and financial support for poor urban dwellers, a majority of the underserved are turning to family and friends for help in the form of informal loans at high interest rates. Want of financial assistance from government and employers, insufficient awareness about low interest loans and absence of necessary documents to access these benefits have all compelled the vulnerable to turn to their kin in other cities/back in the village. A prolonged effort to raise awareness and reduce pointless red tape in these moments of crisis is needed.
This is an area already being tapped by multiple financial entities but there is a long way to go in terms of access to urban migrant workforce.
5.      Healthcare: vastly different for those on the fringes of society. High population density is the truth of life in urban slums. Least prepared for the pandemic due to a dearth of basic facilities such as clean water, drainage, waste collection, and secure and adequate housing these areas are potent grounds for the spread of communicable diseases. It has been observed that in the second wave, the marginalised communities are showing better awareness about communicable diseases, the importance of handwashing and maintaining social distancing. How practical these practices are in such close quarters, is of course, an area of discussion but learning from what has transpired in the nation this time around, it is critical to mainstream health in the urban development agenda in the future. Formation of slum emergency planning committees, stopping evictions, equipping PHCs with proper infrastructure, empowering community health workers, plans for mobility and healthcare access are some concrete steps that need to be worked upon.
Assisted Telemedicine is one of the experiments which has seen a steady adoption by the urban poor to access healthcare. Awareness and adoption of asssited telemedicine centres can also provide quality and timely medical access in semi -urban and rual areas as well.
At the Lotus Petal Foundation, our focus has been Education - two successful online schools for our underprivileged students; Nutrition - dry ration and cooked meal box distribution to the impoverished and Healthcare - medical access through our telemedicine center. We have also intiated programs like Bluekhoj.com to provide market access for informal job seekers and tied up with social sector NBFCs to provide interest free loans.
This pandemic has raised a pressing need of united reform towards holistic inclusiveness to develop a more responsive framework for mitigating urban inequality in future.

5 trends in the urban poor's response to the pandemic have seeds of solution for the future.

 

With almost 17% of the urban population across India living in informal settlements, the question arises, has the pandemic impacted us all the same way? What are the particular trends and characteristics that have been seen in the urban poor over the last year and how has the second wave been different?

We decided to seek answers to these questions with a survey of the urban poor from amongst our beneficary base of over 2000 families. Some of the findings reveal interesting trends which must be seriously explored as they hold the key to solving many age old sticky problems.

1.      Education: schooling in the time of Covid19 for underprivileged children. In an endeavor to keep learning ongoing, across the nation, the attempt has been to transition rapidly to online education. Where this has happened successfully, it has led to a long overdue transformation of day to day learning. It has resulted in enhanced learning outcomes for the students by amalgamating learning modules, pupils and technology. Physical location of the tutor and tutee has become inconsequential. Equipped with a simple operative device, given the incentive of data pack recharge on attendance basis and provided appropriate instruction regarding the workings of the device, any child can access quality education across the nation. Be it in a metropolitan, or in the village. This truly is the best way forward to a knowledgeable and empowered India.

Digitisation of education and its delivery through hybrid models which incorporate online modes must be explored in all seriousness as solution of providing access to quality education in rural India.

2.      Daily nutrition: the criticality of access. Per latest reports, the pandemic has left the urban poor in India more bereft of nutrition than their rural counterparts. A large section of rural residents could cushion the blow of pandemic-driven economic disruption due to food grain via the public distribution system (PDS). The urban poor’s access to such ration, however has been minimal. Having provided the parents of our students with dry ration boxes on a monthly basis with the help of our donors, we were able to gauge the difference this basic food security has made to their day to day lives. A majority of destitute families lost their primary source of income due to the lockdown. This has led to tremendous emotional and financial stress. In the words of Naushad Alam, father of Aftab, a student of Pratishthan Learning Centre at Lotus Petal “The boxes of rice, grains, oil, food ingredients helped us out a lot. They prevented our family from going to bed hungry, which we would have had to do as I lost my job as a cook and had suffered a severe hand injury in the early days of the lockdown and was unable to find alternate employment.” Lack of income due to the lockdown may result in further dependency on food from government or charitable organizations and if this is not taken seriously, this may result in a bigger outbreak of multiple diseases caused due to nutritional deficiency.

The provision of supplementary nutrition in the form of dry ration provides a dignified source of food to those from low income families who otherwise would hesitate to stand in the queue for cooked meals boxes.

3.      Migration: an unfortunate reality. In wave one of the pandemic, migrant workers, who are anchors of the underserved population, started returning to their native villages due to fear, anxiety and hunger. Most of them were daily wagers and did not maintain a financial buffer for such an unprecedented, uncertain situation. The unorganised sector in India accounts for over 90% of the workforce and the majority of them are inter / intra state migrants. As normalcy returned towards the mid of last year, reverse migration commenced. There seemed to be hope that once things get back to relative balance in cities, they would be able to find employment again in these low paying yet foundational jobs in society. As the second wave rages, the migrant informal workforce, after having faced a year of deprivation and uncertainty, is better prepared and are depicting relatively well thought out exit strategies from cities. In ceratin cases migration has happened to areas which are not under lockdown. A wage support plan for the vulnerable may be a possible solution to this mass exodus to and from cities.

This may involve mapping their skills in a verifed database which can help them have a wide market access opportunties.

4.      Financial vulnerabilities: Inability to avail relief. Informal sector workers have suffered the maximum financial brunt of the pandemic. Job loss and monetary insecurity has been a harsh actuality for most in the marginalised communities. This has catalysed a new pattern of acquiring help. With bottlenecks in disbursements of loans and financial support for poor urban dwellers, a majority of the underserved are turning to family and friends for help in the form of informal loans at high interest rates. Want of financial assistance from government and employers, insufficient awareness about low interest loans and absence of necessary documents to access these benefits have all compelled the vulnerable to turn to their kin in other cities/back in the village. A prolonged effort to raise awareness and reduce pointless red tape in these moments of crisis is needed.

This is an area already being tapped by multiple financial entities but there is a long way to go in terms of access to urban migrant workforce.

5.      Healthcare: vastly different for those on the fringes of society. High population density is the truth of life in urban slums. Least prepared for the pandemic due to a dearth of basic facilities such as clean water, drainage, waste collection, and secure and adequate housing these areas are potent grounds for the spread of communicable diseases. It has been observed that in the second wave, the marginalised communities are showing better awareness about communicable diseases, the importance of handwashing and maintaining social distancing. How practical these practices are in such close quarters, is of course, an area of discussion but learning from what has transpired in the nation this time around, it is critical to mainstream health in the urban development agenda in the future. Formation of slum emergency planning committees, stopping evictions, equipping PHCs with proper infrastructure, empowering community health workers, plans for mobility and healthcare access are some concrete steps that need to be worked upon.

Assisted Telemedicine is one of the experiments which has seen a steady adoption by the urban poor to access healthcare. Awareness and adoption of asssited telemedicine centres can also provide quality and timely medical access in semi -urban and rual areas as well.

At the Lotus Petal Foundation, our focus has been Education - two successful online schools for our underprivileged students; Nutrition - dry ration and cooked meal box distribution to the impoverished and Healthcare - medical access through our telemedicine center. We have also intiated programs like Bulekhoj.com to provide market access for informal job seekers and tied up with social sector NBFCs to provide interest free loans.

This pandemic has raised a pressing need of united reform towards holistic inclusiveness to develop a more responsive framework for mitigating urban inequality in future.

Hybrid Schooling : The emerging reality of school education

 

A year has elapsed since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, wreaking havoc and bringing with it unprecedented disruptions. The education industry was significantly impacted due to closures of institutes, leading to an increase in the school drop-out rate from 4% to 5.5% in the last year, with over 6 million students dropping out.

Hitherto resistant to change, the education industry had to evolve overnight. Now, with Covid threatening a resurgence and school closures announced in many states, what we need is a long-term sustainable approach to education, or face the long-term implications of children not receiving adequate quality education. 

The way forward is to move into a modus operandi that combines both online and offline approaches to education i.e. Hybrid Learning. A coalescence between both and a malleable model that grants the freedom to switch between the two is essential.

With hybrid learning properly implemented, limited resources can be dispensed across more students, online content can be better leveraged, workspace can be utilized in a more flexible manner, costs can be reduced and the whole process can be made more inclusive. Difficulties found across a majority of schools in India such as dearth of infrastructure and paucity of qualified teachers can be assuaged.

In conjunction, all these factors will ensure the most critical aspect of the endeavor – the continuity of the child in the education process. 

The benefits of quick acclimatization, prior investments in technology and keeping the beneficiaries’ interest central have been experienced first-hand at Lotus Petal, where the year commenced with 644 students enrolled in the educational programs. Today, 612 (~95%) students have been successfully retained and have received uninterrupted learning. This has been encouraging for many other children too, who now seek admission at Lotus Petal.

           

 Hybrid schooling infrastructure has been operationalized. Inspite of less than  50% occupancy in every classroom due to social distancing, we have all students attending classes every day.

The reality of education has shifted from the child being physically present in school each day to holistic hybrid learning. This seems the way forward. 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Defining curriculum without textbooks.

 

Theater, drama, theatrics often mistaken as a distraction from real life or considered as mere entertainment, has the power of expressing and accepting reality in the most potent way.

The origin of theater in ancient Greece was a way of expression by individuals, where all forms of art were used. Singing, dancing, body movements and acrobats were tailored together to explain rights, law, deep emotions, social issues, religion and rituals in an easy-to-understand way; yet the impact on the viewer was long-lasting. To be able to do this- the artist had to be aware, rehearse and feel the emotion at the deepest level. There were no books to learn or explain, yet the learning was realized at the inmost level, making changes to the artist's own personality and also created ripples across the onlookers.

Such is the power of theater.

The form has evolved in various dimensions and in some forms, is considered a frivolous form of entertainment or an opportunity for fame. But theater in the truest form rules supreme as a wonderful teacher. Thereby, rightly should acquire a prominent place in modern school learning.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle 

Even in the mildest form, theater allows us to feel things with the heart. Helps become more aware and reflect on actions- both as introspection and as observance. It helps one understand the issues better and look at points of view if expressed well. When practiced as an exercise or a part of the curriculum, theater has proven to help self-esteem and confidence. As a group activity, it further promotes compassion and empathy. Even for the spectators, it acts as reflective learning to understand issues better and leaves an imprint on the mind. 

Such a powerful medium should hold a prominent place within the classrooms, where everyday learning should go beyond the theory of life but delve into the sentiment of living a whole life, where your rights and duties are in harmony with your interpersonal and emotional well-being. 

"Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand."

It would be highly fruitful if the aspects of theater are included in everyday learning where the teacher uses various aspects of theater to improve the listening and problem-solving skills of the pupil. Working together as a team, rather than in a classroom would enhance interpersonal skills and make collaborative learning a part of a child’s personality. Since theater engages all types of learners, it includes voice modulation, role play, dialogues, enacting scenes, the learning can be more rounded and wholesome. 

The use of props and puppetry adds a fun dimension to learning that stays with the child forever. Many of the behavioral problems of children can be addressed without naming them. Many social issues and injustices can be highlighted for awareness building of growing up children. 

Theater, a play it may seem but it may help a child play life better, may make them play safer, play it right, or just play a role that is best suited for them. 

Digital Divide in Education

 

Plagued by structural problems like lack of infrastructure, electricity, books, qualified teachers and clean drinking water, the condition of public schools in India was already dire before the pandemic hit. Children from underprivileged backgrounds were suffering from the consequences of an inadequate education system when exacerbating the situation, the pandemic brought with it severe disruptions to every sphere of life. The situation revealed the deep-rooted fragilities of the education sector in particular. With the mandated closure of all institutions, the education sector had to transform overnight. Along with it, the problems too have transformed.

A lack of school infrastructure has now become a lack of digital infrastructure. This shift to digital learning has brought with it a new category of divide, the Digital Divide. With all educational activities being carried out remotely, the disparity between the haves and have-nots in society is more perceptible than ever before.

The poorest students are facing challenges such as lack of digital devices like smartphones and laptops, poor net connectivity and inadequate power supply. The absence of digital infrastructure for both the teachers and students is becoming more and more evident in disadvantaged communities. As social distancing norms do not allow classes to be conducted physically, the increasing learning gap is pushing these underserved children further back. Concerned parents are trying to help their children, but can only do so much. They do not know how to operate the devices, are helpless at stopping the misuse of devices, and have the added pressure of financial strains and providing childcare and meals for their children. Many have decided to keep their children out of the education system altogether. It is estimated that missing out on school for six months would reduce pupils’ lifetime earnings by 5%.

The EdTech remodel of the education system is here to stay. It is now the new normal. What needs to be done now is to reinvent the thought process to ensure that the most vulnerable children in society get their right: their right to equal access to quality education.  

Restoring the year.

 

The story of 2020 has to be written in a language that has never been deciphered before. What we knew of and that what we now know may have a common continuum thread, it may seem familiar but to say it is what it was may be misleading.

Every boundary & every limitation that we had constructed around us has been questioned. Each contraption that the ego had built is in the process of being dismantled. We could not drive the big cars to announce we have arrived, travel to fancy locations to feel good, our offices may not be big and sprawling anymore & our support system cannot be just a presence in a big social gathering. We had to be honest. Delve deep within to see how we can cope. Be in closed doors with people & relationships that could not be left unresolved. Be with our own selves to work on the transformation that had been long impending.

Why did we reach where we did? Where to go from here? And how to find the way when no one has really been here before? It is different yet much seems familiar.

To be able to withstand the year and to continue to face what today brings- We have had to get real. And in many ways go back home. To where it all started.

At Lotus Petal we came at the crossroads of where to go from where we were in March 2020. There were no books written, no search engines devised to solve what we were facing- the need to keep the organization alive & going, to ensure jobs are secure, children in the education system and to be of service at the most critical time. Before the external, the internal had to be nourished. Each fear addressed and allowed to pass until it was surrendered to the ocean of service. Everything that we were- had to be re-looked to remain who are.

Without wasting a single day, each of us went deep within ourselves. Into the values that were common while growing up in middle class homes. The values that built the foundation of Lotus Petal.

Service to the nation and humanity before Self- as a team we came from different homes, faiths and background but our spiritual calling remained aligned. Service.

The stepping stones were- sharing, conserving, listening to one another, reaching out to what needed most attention, trust the intuition, faith in the leadership- reassuring each other that we are together & will get through this- Our faith in the intrinsic goodness of people strengthened and the belief of One World One Community reassured; all this while we stared at the common vision, a common goal that really has no finishing line. Child in the centre. Dignity to all.

Everything that we were doing was reinvented- finding novel ways to ensure that the student is able to attend their classes every day. Even in the slums of India. Under the hot tin roofs of those shanty`s where there was not electric supply & no running water. We ensured that a device was in their hand, a data pack, a noise cancelling head phone was available to them & most importantly food in their kitchen. The emotional wellbeing was looked after, the jobs of their parents restored, monthly allowance instated & healthcare extended.

This was possible because we went home. To those familiar inclusive values that we grew up with. Of simplicity and of care; of building a community and not a wall. Where food always tasted better when shared & where there was always enough. In the values that restored communities there was little competition and more support. Where there was patience, wisdom and a steady pace.

The values that we left behind in the decade before 2020 needed to be restored. For us 2020 healed, transformed & continues to mend.

We relook, innovate and improve so we can grow. And we grow together, with each other within thriving communities of hope & courage based on the web of resilience.

We welcome you to be a part of our restorative journey of building flourishing communities where there is dignity for all.

Zero Hunger Food Bank - An initiative of Lotus Petal Foundation for underprivileged

 

As Lotus Petal delved deeper towards the education of the underprivileged in 2013, a striking learning emerged- Food before Education. An empty stomach, sick body or a hungry-dehydrated child- made for no classroom learning in spite of the child being present for the tutorial. Over the years, we forayed into providing two, freshly cooked balanced meals- supplemented by protein & DHA enriched milk & fruit for breakfast. The pre-primary children were served fortified meals, with higher iron content to make them ready for a rigorous classroom experience. The use of seasonal produce, less spice content & high protein made for better immunity which ensured better attendance & better cognition. All this was supported by training the children to wash hands, an in-house medical OPD for primary care and regular orientation to parents & children about nutrition and hydration.

Over the years, as the reach of the organization expanded through Sahyog (An initiative of Lotus Petal Foundation that provides education & infrastructural support to Government Schools), the tragedy of everyday hunger in the remote locations of Gurgaon became stark. Poverty, unemployment, lack of primary healthcare and low level farm incomes stared at us. What we knew of & had read was visible in the everyday.

The Covid Crisis gave Lotus Petal an unfortunate opportunity to serve similar nutritious meals across various locations to the displaced work force across Gurgaon during the lockdown. The meals were diligently packed in the kitchen of Lotus Petal Foundation by women workers. As the lockdown lifted, the hope that the need for food boxes may shrink did no see the light of day. Hunger & unemployment persists & continues to rage, merging effortlessly with the new normal.

India stands at 102nd position out of 117 countries on Global Hunger Index 2019. Unable to match the steps of Pakistan, Bangladesh & Nepal, we fall below them as the second lowest-ranked among the South Asian countries. 90.4% children between the age of 6 and 23 months in India do not receive adequate, acceptable nutrition that results in stunting, wasting, anaemia resulting to poor cognition and lifelong learning delays.

The Covid Crisis has only magnified the dismal alimentary situation. A substantial part of the underprivileged population around us is still severely malnourished, poorly fed every day and many go to sleep hungry. During the crisis, the Central government of India, under its Atmanirbhar Bharat economic package, sanctioned 8 lakh metric tonnes of free food grains to 8 crore migrant workers who were displaced during the lockdown- 2020. The families were offered 5 kg of grain per person and 1 kg of pulses per family every month- even to those who did not have ration cards and were not covered by the Public Distribution System. The execution of the same has not been easy and the present data reveals only 13% of the 8lakh metric tonnes of food grains have reached migrant workers so far, benefitting approximately 2.13 crore workers. 5.87crore are still in dire need.

The epidemic of Hunger continues. 

To satiate hunger and it`s various unseen dimensions, aligned with the SDG #2 Lotus Petal Foundation has launched the Zero Hunger Food Bank. The learning of deep engagement with the beneficiary forms an integral part of building the Food Bank. Food, nutrition and hunger cannot be seen without- the availability of potable water, employment opportunities, women’s empowerment, increasing farm level incomes & providing sustainable local level incomes. The various facets of Hunger will be the building blocks of the Zero Hunger Food Bank.

As ambitious as it may seem- the intent continues to be the same, a life of dignity to the underprivileged- Hope to a family that will ensure education to their children.

As a team we resolve to provide an individual the comfort of being able to earn a living that would enable them to organise a safe shelter for their family, have access to a basic medical facility & the availability of clean drinking water. This would in turn provide them the luxury of being able to cook themselves a meal which over rides the provision of boxed food from the kitchen of Lotus Petal. 

Objectives of the Zero Hunger Food Bank-

• Provide immediate relief of food supply & essentials during calamities and humanitarian crises.
•  Identify areas of extreme poverty & deliver cooked boxed food.
• Continuous provision of nutritious meals to children in non-profit schools.
• Run age- appropriate, supplementary nutrition programs in Government schools.
• Fortified Supplementary nutrition to address long term malnutrition issues in children from 0 to 5 years in various government schools, anganwaadis, slum areas, identified low income cluster & non-profit schools.

Extensive use of technology, consultation with a nutritionist & support of local administration will ensure the right kind of food delivered to the areas in dire need.

In the design of solutions and to provide a stable delivery mechanism for the above, imperative supplementary issues will get addressed as well which include:

•  Sustainable local income sources
•  Improving farm level incomes
• Women's empowerment
• WASH
• Primary health care
• Nutrition for women during pregnancy

The attempt to provide better life to many in the underprivileged community continues to find novel ways at Lotus Petal. Be a part of the timeless journey of paving a path of hope through wholesome meals & ensuring a life of dignity to all in need.