The 22 families from Rajasthan, who were living in makeshift structures at Solar here and whose children turned alm-seekers due to lockdown, received groceries and essential commodities in adequate quantities on Monday.
They were living in makeshift structures without basic amenities for over three years now. A report on “Migrant children turn alm-seekers as lockdown hits parents’ livelihood” was published in The Hindu dated July 30 after which Selva Charitable Trust and Humanity During COVID-19, an organisation to help the needy during the lockdown, decided to extend helping hand to the families.
On Monday, R. Sivakumar, Superintendent of Police, Prohibition Enforcement Wing, Salem Zone, distributed groceries and essential commodities to each family in the presence of J.J. Bharathi, founder, Selva Charitable Trust, S. Rozario, its president and Naim Khan and his wife Mahathaj Parveen, founders of Humanity During COVID-19.
Milk packets, milk powder, fruits and bread packets were also given to 75 persons. “We get work for one or two days a week and we earn less than ₹ 200 a week,” said Ajay and added that the dry rations would feed his family for two to three weeks.
Essentials were also distributed by an NGO, Rights Education and Development Centre, to the families. S. Lakshmi, secretary, Erode District Legal Services Authority, distributed the essentials in the presence of E.M. Ashok Kumar, chairman, District Child Welfare Committee, V. David Raja, District Child Protection Officer, R. Karuppasamy, Director, READ, its project manager Maheswaran, and D. Jeyaraj, Coordinator, Erode Railway Childline 1098.
Officials told The Hindu that there were 19 children below18 years and a proposal had been made to start a Special Training Centre to train and admit them in regular school.