26-Yr-Old Dehradun Man To Adopt 100 Children Orphaned Due To COVID-19

Jai Sharma, a resident of Dehradun, has taken up the noble cause of helping the children who lost both their parents to COVID-19. The founder of the NGO Just Open Yourself (JOY) has planned to adopt 100 orphaned children.

The NGO, through its Facebook page, announced the adoption plan. Out of the 100, 28 are already receiving financial aid from the organisation. "These children are based out of Uttarkashi, Joshimath, Rudraprayag, and Dehradun districts. We aim to finance the education of these students for the next 2-3 years till they become self-reliant," Sharma told Times of India.

He said, "When the second wave of COVID-19 started, we encountered five such families in the initial two weeks where both the parents had died, and the child/children were left alone at home. A few of these children were of classes 4th-5th age group, one was in 12th, and the rest were small in age. At that moment, it hit our mind that this unfortunate scenario is inevitable, and we were to come across more such cases as the pandemic rose."

JOY is not only adopting children from Dehradun but also from the hilly regions and rural areas. The NGO is in constant touch with the gram panchayats of villages in the hills, who will inform the team about orphaned children who need help. The organisation will take the responsibility to help the children till the time they become self-sufficient.

Jai's NGO Actively Working During COVID-19

JOY has been helping different sections of society during the pandemic. It distributed oxygen cylinders to the needy free of cost with no refilling or security charges. They also distributed medical kits containing masks and sanitisers, along with other medical supplies. Ration and other food materials were also distributed to those in need by the NGO.

Others In Uttarakhand Have Come In Support

The Times of India reported that Chakrata-based SMR Degree College is conducting a batch for underprivileged students and children who lost their parents due to the pandemic.

The UIHMT/CIMS group of colleges in Dehradun has adopted 100 children and is providing free education to them. Students are allowed to enroll in any of the 35 different courses that are run by the institute.

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