For Akbar, 14, who lives in Gurugram, the lockdown was no less than the worst dream of his life. With no job or money in hand, most of the people in his locality left for their villages, leaving the entire area deserted.
“My locality suddenly started looking like a site for a haunted movie. There were hardly any faces visible in the area. All my friends left for their villages along with their parents after the lockdown was announced. There was no one to even talk with. Those were the days when I only prayed to God to make everything normal like before,” said Akbar.
On the other hand, Purnima, 15, from Delhi is struggling with the online education system during the pandemic every passing day. With limited excess to digital devices and the Internet, Purnima who is pursuing Class 10 board exams this year is extremely concerned about her studies. “Online classes have become a new challenge for me.
We are three siblings and we have only one smartphone in our family. All the three of us have to attend classes, but only one of us can access it in a day.” The COVID-19 crisis and the lockdown that followed highlighted the plight of various sections of the society, including underprivileged children. So, the children’s team of Child Rights and You (CRY) organised a virtual Model United Nations (MUN).
It used the platform to discuss issues faced by underprivileged children like Akbar and Purnima, during lockdown.
Akbar and Purnima along with other children narrated the difficulties they are facing in these COVID times, during MUN’s two-day long discussion. During the session, the delegates spoke about how health care systems in almost all countries have seen a shortage in medicines, vaccines and mostly importantly ventilators. Most developing or underdeveloped countries are not only battling COVID-19, but also struggling with issues like malnutrition. The delegates also spoke about how low-income nations cannot implement lockdowns and curfews as most of their citizens depend on daily wages.
Addressing the MUN, Regional Director of Child Rights and You (CRY), Soha Moitra said, “We at CRY perceive the youth as being instrumental in being the executors of change. Children for Children MUN and Model UNs in general are a manifestation of this philosophy. Model UNs has played a relevant role in building the next generation of leaders and will certainly build a body of aware, empathetic and innovative students.”