What does Mother’s Day look like for state’s ‘Covid orphans’?

Dehradun: The special day to celebrate mothers is here. While many children would spend the day with their moms, the Covid pandemic has deprived several young ones of this joy. According to Uttarakhand women and child development department data, a total of 156 children lost both their parents to the virus between March 15, 2020 (when the first case surfaced in the state) and March 2, 2022.The data adds that a total of 3,568 children lost one of their parents during the same period.
However, the actual figure could be many times this number, according to social activists. Jai Sharma, the founder of Dehradun-based social organisation “JOY”, said, “The pandemic completely overturned the lives of those children who lost both their parents or the breadwinner of their family. It will take a lot of effort to bring them back to the mainstream. These kids need education and counseling. Surviving a trauma of this proportion requires resilience of the spirit, not just the body.” Sharma’s foundation took Ukhimath-based teenager Rohit Bahuguna’s responsibility after both his parents died due to Covid-19.
Dr Rashmi Kulshresth, chairperson of the child welfare committee, told TOI, “Boys and girls above the age of 10 years, who lost their parents during the pandemic, were brought to separate government facilities. The state also has dedicated shelter homes for orphan kids under the age of 10 years.”