The unemployment rate of India is spiked to 27.1 percent in the week ended May 2020. Last month, the figure was on 23.5 percent. The massive 91 million job loss is recorded for the laborer’s and small traders in the country due to lockdown, says CMIE. Hundreds and thousands of people are fleeing from the cities to their villages.

The unprecedented pressure on India economy and the labour class has pushed the people to the brink. Children parliament promoted by Caritas India through her Swaraksha Anti Human Trafficking partner DEHAT in Lohra village of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh. The children have taken a small effort to support the marginalized people in their villages with the grain bank initiative.

This village is in the remote forest area, highly populated with the tharu tribal community dependent on forest & agriculture for their livelihood. Swaraksha programme has created effective awareness and sensitization activities for the community which has transformed into community-led groups like Women Self Help Groups, Child Group & Child Parliament. These groups are trained on Human Trafficking related issues at the village level which is adjacent to the Nepal border prone to Human Trafficking. Apart from Human Trafficking issues, these groups are oriented on various Govt. Schemes & Entitlements for availing the benefits. Child Parliament is one of such active group which decided to extend their support to the community during the lockdown.

Child parliament advocated with the big farmers through the Panchayat leaders to support the marginal poor families with grain bank initiative. The request was approved and around 400 Kgs of Wheat was collected in the Grain bank to support the poor families, widows, and other marginalized people. The Grain bank is under the custody of the Child Parliament and they are supporting the needy families whenever they need. As this tender age of playing and enjoying, these children have developed a sense of responsibility towards the society and other human beings which is remarkable.

Apart from this, Laxmi, the Prime Minister of this Child Parliament shared about various safety measures taken by the community children to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. She shared about Government advisories like washing hands with soap & Sanitizer every hour & using a mask in public places & avoid going outside & meeting peoples & keeping Distance of 1 metre while talking to any person to break the chain of Corona.