The Anchorage closed down on 16th March 2020 due to Lockdown. After carefully thinking through and coordinating with job work suppliers, we decided to adopt work from home policy for our members during the lock down period. The first 15 days we distributed job work to be done at home. The members were very happy to work from home. Unfortunately, this was a temporary period.
So, after the first two weeks we decided to connect with the members in a different way. We called for photos /videos of the work they were doing at home e.g. helping in household chores etc. We compiled their photos into a video uploaded on our YouTube channel – one video a week. This was a roaring success – the members loved it and waited each week for their videos to come on YouTube. Post this, to refresh the approach again, the staff decided to talk to each members through a video. Each staff member recorded a message for them from their respective homes, which were compiled together. Similarly, we asked the volunteers to send their messages. Each volunteer was supportive. The members found the videos comforting and reassuring. They realized everyone was at home.
We then thought of taking all the extracurricular activities being done in the institute to their homes. Each and every staff member contributed, and we put together videos on multiple topics:
Throughout the lockdown period our aim was to keep Anchorage members happy so that they and their families come out as winners. Their families did their best to keep them engaged at home. In this critical time our endeavor has been to stay connected with the members and their families. We have called the members and their families over phone calls/video calls every week. The Anchorage staff members have provided counselling (as required), reassurance, emotional support, and friendship to the members. The members enjoy talking to the staff and wait for the weekly call. Some even call the staff on their own to chat with them.
For the first 3 weeks of June 2020, the Anchorage staff members planned for the online sessions and learnt the technology. We started online Zoom sessions from July 2020. We incorporated all the activities that were done in person in the workshop into the online sessions. members were divided into small groups based on their ability to do activities.
Topics covered in these sessions were:
Each staff took the above topics in rotation with each group. Parents supported by helping the members during these sessions. We had 60 % attendance. It was new and challenging for the staff, parents, and members. Yet we managed well. We even managed to do job work in the online sessions. The online activity sessions continued till March 2021. All extracurricular activities and festival celebrations were conducted virtually. Our volunteers too joined the online sessions sometimes.