TL;DR Summary: The COVID Lockdown has disturbed the livelihoods of millions of informal workers across the country, including domestic workers, street vendors and construction workers. Their children are some of the worst affected in these troubled times. Lok Swasthya SEWA Trust, through Sangini Cooperative, a SEWA childcare initiative, are redirecting our efforts to feed these children in their time of need. For as little as ₹35, you can sustain a child's life for a day through the COVID pandemic.

Long Form: The current COVID-19 pandemic has exposed many weaknesses of our social security net which supports the less fortunate members of our society. Sangini Cooperative is an initiative by SEWA to maximise the welfare of its members and improve the development of their children as best as possible through the provision of basic child care alongside developmental activities like health check-ups, pre-primary education and parental awareness drives. It is supported by Lok Swasthya SEWA Trust (LSST) and is currently running 11 centres in various neighbourhoods of Ahmedabad city managed by teams of ‘Balsevikas’ or child care workers since our establishment in 1986.The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) was registered as a trade union in 1972 to improve and enable the access to livelihood opportunities through the joint actions of struggle and development. SEWA organises mass campaigns and supports women to raise their voices against injustice and at the same time, undertake collective, constructive action for the well-being of the working poor. Today, the union has 1.8 million members across 18 states of India. SEWA’s is an integrated, holistic approach to organising action for social change. The primary goals of SEWA are achieving full-employment and self-reliance for its members i.e. women undertaking informal work.In more normal times, SEWA childcare centres have had a positive impact on children’s overall growth and development especially through improved nutrition and hygiene at a nominal cost to the families. It has improved the working life and mobility of mothers by offering flexible timings matched to the needs of women within the community. Since ‘balsevikas’ are drawn from within the same community as the working women, they are well placed to take on leadership roles in navigating troubling times.
Since the institution of social distancing, self-isolation and lockdown measures have taken over the country in March, our members and their communities have been struggling to sustain themselves without a secure source of livelihood. Sangini has taken steps to prepare and provide basic nourishment to our members to tide them through these troubled times. However, we are not equipped to handle this effort for long with the limited resources available at our disposal presently.
Support feeding an underprivileged child in Ahmedabad at just ₹35 a day.