NGO hands out activity kits to COVID-19 affected children in Jaipur

An NGO has distributed activity kits to children who have contracted coronavirus admitted in SMS hospital in Jaipur.

To engage the children in creative and learning activities, Mitra Foundation gave away the activity kits to the minor patients.

Apart from the kids admitted in the coronavirus ward of the hospital, the kits have also been provided to children who are under quarantine at other places.

Each kit contains one specially designed workbook, story and drawing workbook, comics, magazines, puzzles, wax colours, sketch pens, pens, pencils, erasers and other items for craft making.

The idea behind this is to engage children in creative activities when they are in isolation due to coronavirus infection. I got to know from a doctor at SMS hospital that children admitted in the coronavirus ward were finding it difficult to adjust and spend their time so we decided to develop a workbook to keep them engaged, Ritesh Sharma, Secretary of Mitra Foundation, told PTI.

He said that the workbook has 11 pages in which a child has to write down their thoughts, write about themselves, letters to their father, mother and self.

The contents have been designed in such a manner that they can easily connect themselves with it. It is useful in keeping their mind diverted towards good things. They have to stay in the ward for at least 14 days or till they recover and all this while they remain isolated. So, it is necessary to provide young minds with some good and positive things, he said.

So far, 200 kits have been designed out of which 35 have been distributed in SMS hospital while some other hospitals have also requested for the kits, Sharma said.

Apart from the affected children, Sharma said that the kits have also been provided for the children of ward boys who are on duty in the coronavirus ward for children.

Due to the lockdown, it was initially difficult for us to arrange all those things for preparing one complete kit. So, we designed the workbook inhouse and took printouts. Later, we managed magazines or comics through our friends and items for craft making from shops which are open, he said.