The story of children orphaned by Covid-19 in Visakhapatnam

For 15-year-old M Sravani of Vizag, it was an unexpected day in her life, waking up in the morning and not finding her mother anywhere at home. Having lost both their parents, Sravani and her elder sister are waiting for ex-gratia to be given by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy so as to prepare for their future. This is not just one story as there are many more children in the city of Visakhapatnam who have lost both their parents or single parent in different situations due to Covid-19 and became orphans, left with no one to take care of them. With a total of 16 children identified and five more on the list, Integrated Child Development Agency (ICDS) has so far listed out 12 children who are eligible for the ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to be deposited by the government.

Yo! Vizag shares the stories of some of these children in Visakhapatnam who are coping with their loss and making themselves strong through this difficult period.

A resident of Rajiv Nagar, Sravani lost her father due to cancer a few years back and her mother died due to Covid-19 this year. Studying in class X, she is greatly supported by her elder sister Vara Lakshmi who is preparing for teacher training in Vijayawada. “Ever since my father passed away, my mother was the only person who used to earn money, working in a private company and took care of us. I came back home from the hostel due to the pandemic situation. It was unexpected that she tested positive and died,” said Vara Lakshmi, elder sister of Sravani. While Vara Lakshmi is awaiting her practicals, she decided to work hard and prepare for the entrance examination so as to get a teaching job. “These all cannot happen in a day but we are hoping for a miracle to happen, getting ex-gratia at the earliest. That will help us in a great way,” she added.

In another story of 15-year-old C Bala Sri Lakshmi studying class X, she lost both her parents within a span of two months. Running a small business selling flowers at Pendurthi, she is taken care of by her Grandmother Bharathi now. Couldn’t identify symptoms of Covid early, Sri Lakshmi’s father was affected with severe Covid and even couldn’t get a bed at the right time. “Taking care of her father, the kid’s mother was also tested positive lately. Though we spent money on her treatment, she couldn’t fight. It was hard for my granddaughter to cope with the loss but we are trying to make her strong enough to bring her a better future,” said her grandmother.

A father and his daughter in Visakhapatnam also got separated due to Covid-19. For 16-year-old Usha Sri, though her father was far away working in Maharashtra, the feeling that she had someone to take care of was all she had till now. Their family had four deaths due to Covid-19 among which one was her father. Lost to her mother in an accident a few years ago, Usha Sri and her father were tested positive and fought against Covid-19. “While her father died, Usha Sri who had breathing problems fortunately survived. But the loss of her father is what she couldn’t come out of,” said Syamala, her aunt. Ever since her mother died, Usha Sri and her younger brother were taken care of by her mother’s sister in Vizag, while her father worked in Maharashtra earning money for their children. For Usha Sri, the painful part was that she is unable to forget the last night she spent with her father before he died. “He promised me that nothing happened to him and will come back home soon. But he couldn’t fight back”, said Usha Sri, studying intermediate first year.

The state government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to support children under the age of 18 who have become orphans after their parents succumbed to Covid-19. On Tuesday, AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released a GO. The Women and Child Welfare Department informed that they are seeking applications from such children. Eligibility criteria for applying are children under 18 years of age by the date of application, single parents or both parents lost due to Covid-19 and family income must be below the poverty line. Once the criteria are verified, a sum of Rs 10 lakh would be deposited in any national bank in the name of those eligible for the ex-gratia and the bond would be handed over to them.

Eligible children in Visakhapatnam are being informed to contact the office of the Integrated Child Development Agency (ICDS) in their area or their Anganwadi Workers or at the Child Welfare Department office, Sector-9, MVP Colony.