A specially-abled child is devoid of government facilities even as her tribal family is struggling to make ends meet. Harini is an eight-year-old resident of the Sulebhavi Jeenukurubara Tribal settlement in Kodagu. Daughter of Vinu Krishna and Anita, Harini is a specially-abled child with partial paralysis. Her parents are daily-wagers and they take turns to report to work as one of them is always required to give special care to their daughter.
"She cannot move and needs to be carried around. She has to be fed and cared for personally. Hence, one of us stays home while the other works. However, the earning is feeble," shared Anita. The struggle of the family has reached deaf ears. While the Woman and Child Welfare Department was alerted about the incident and Harini's need for a wheelchair, the same has not been sanctioned.
"Following a media report, officials from the Women and Child Welfare department approached us. I had even visited their office in Madikeri and Somwarpet. However, no facilities have been sanctioned to my daughter," shared Vinu. The family also lives in a vulnerable house and shared that they have stopped believing in help from the government and are only dependent on what little they earn.
