Radha Pandey - Mobile Creches

Name: Radha Pandey
Country: India
Job title: Deputy Manager, Mobile Creches
Sector: Early childhood development
Child age group she works with: birth - 12 years of age
Years of experience: 40 years

If you could send one positive message to your colleagues around the globe at these challenging times, what would it be?
The situation is challenging, and it will be so for a while. We need to continue to find ways to work closely together.

If you could send one positive message to children and families/caregivers around the globe at these challenging times, what would it be?
I would tell children not to be scared and parents/caregivers to give their children extra love and care so that they do not get stressed during these challenging times.

What are you learning during these times as an individual and a professional?
As an individual, I have learned how to work with technology and reach out to many people. I never thought that I could use technology to the extent that I do today. 

As a professional, I have learned that such a situation can arise anytime, and one must be prepared and help their team prepare. We have to be able to change our approach to work within the existing situation. The most significant change in our approach has been the change from working in close physical proximity to working remotely (with technology). We do so because we do not want to lose contact with the children we have been working with or hinder their development process. We are frequently in touch with the team we are working with and the beneficiaries of our services.

What would you like people to know and understand about your work during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Our primary aim is to ensure that Mobile Creches' frontline workers can connect to parents and children during the pandemic. I have worked to customize the existing modules and curriculum with my team. These help the parents conduct activities with their children at home. During this pandemic, I've also worked to adapt to the organization's approach toward reaching the most children possible.

What concerns you the most now, and what concerns you most for the upcoming period?

The gravest concern that I have is that this pandemic has led to great unemployment in the area where we work. This unemployment will directly affect families, including children. The community is also continually migrating, and there is little certainty for them.

The child care centers (both private and public) are not functional at the moment, and when the parents go to work, there is nowhere for the children to go. During these times, there is also an increase in crime rates and abuse of children. The long term effect on children in this area concerns me.