Prioritizing Children's Mental Health – the need of the hour

 Make a Difference in between the "Too Much" happening around!

I wish I could only write about the happy stories I encounter on my trips, but I feel the need to share about these things is much higher than my fun-filled experiences that I share with my friends & family. On my way to Chandigarh, I saw lot of poor children at every traffic light, who were selling small items like balloons, sweets, newspapers, magazines, etc, there were few who were cleaning the car that stops at the traffic signal, some were begging for penny so that they can have food & what not. I mean THAT was the time when I felt bad about my country because of what I have seen in my trip.

It certainly made me feel that India is a land of “Too Much”; too many people, too much poverty, too many orphaned children, too much starvation, too much sickness, too any uneducated children and adults — it can seem overwhelming. On this trip, we saw the aspect of “too much”, but we also realized the potential that is here, waiting to be discovered.

 

UNICEF estimates that there are 25 million orphaned children in India in 2007. Another study estimates there are about 44 million destitute children and over 12 million orphan and abandoned children in India, yet there are only 5000 (0.04%) adoptions every year. The institutions for children in conflict with the law host about 40,000 children. The wide gap that exists in the knowledge of and attitude towards child adoption and intention to adopt a child between people from different socio-economic backgrounds exposes the need of the state to initiate promotion of child adoption and creating a system of non-institutional care for children above the adoption age.

 

It seems very easy for people like us to like or comment on social platforms like Facebook, twitter on issues related to Women Empowerment, Right for Education, Orphans in India & so on. We also share stories of these poor children who became victims at a very early age or some right from the time when they were born. The fact that I am trying to lay emphasis on is that is it going to benefit any one? Or does it satisfy us or our inner soul that we as humans who are fortunate, energetic & are lucky that we are not a part of all this by the Grace of God.

 

While knowing & seeing all this, we yet choose to silently ignore it but it somewhere bothers few people like & I am also one of them. If this is something which touches your heart & bothers you as an individual then we should try & contribute at the best of our potential in every aspect.

Let’s set an example of inspiration to one & all by contributing our bit for the needy & be a Proud citizen.

No other time can be as joyous as the Valentine’s Week, when you make those extra efforts to make your loved ones feel special. So this Valentine’s week double the power of love and share it with someone who needs it the most.

Let’s Make a Difference by experiencing a joy of giving a smile to one child at least, 

click here.

By Sonal Dua,

Student at FIIB.

(Volunteer at Udayan Care)