Anjali may come a family of extrovert performers but when India went into lockdown and they lost their livelihood, she became even more shy and withdrawn. Then she joined Butterflies’ Child Health and Sports Cooperative that met regularly at an outdoor ‘contact point’ in her poor, marginalized community. When she remained quiet and sometimes missed sessions, Butterflies Child Rights Advocates drew her out and back into the group, creating a safe space where she blossomed.
She learned to speak before others, to conduct CHSC meetings where kids could share their own fears and coping strategies but also plan collective action. They voted to take an inventory of who in the community most needed the food that organizations like Butterflies was providing. And they also went door to door to educate people on handwashing, mask-wearing and social distancing to stop the spread of the virus. At first, Anjali only used to dream of changing her own situation like her family’s hunger. Today, having tackled the food crisis in her neighborhood she feels up to changing the whole environment.