The COVID-19 pandemic brought widespread loss and grief across the country. Thousands of families lost loved ones, and many children were left without parents. For them, the loss came at a time when the world felt uncertain and unsafe, leaving their futures suddenly fragile.
While in most parts of the country the crisis ended when the waves subsided, in Alappuzha, it became the beginning of a longer responsibility!
In 2022, IAS officer V. R. Krishna Teja, then District Collector of Alappuzha, made a clear commitment. Every child in the district who had lost one or both parents to COVID-19 would have a secure home and uninterrupted access to education.
At that point, 292 children were identified as COVID orphans. Many faced the risk of displacement, poverty, and school dropouts.
Instead of short-term relief, the district administration chose a structured, long-term approach. Krishna Teja launched a community initiative called ‘We Are for Alleppey’ in September 2022. The platform brought together government welfare schemes, CSR funding, individual donors, and local volunteers. The focus was coordination and accountability, not charity alone.
Support was designed around the real needs of children at different stages of life. They were grouped into primary, upper primary, secondary, and graduation levels. Assistance covered education expenses, nutrition, housing, and basic welfare. Today, 73 children are pursuing undergraduate degrees, 37 are in Class 12, 65 are in high school, 41 are in upper primary, and 77 are in lower primary.
Housing remained the most critical promise. Through government schemes and donor support, houses were built and allotted in phases. The administration tracked each case closely. By 2025, the final set of houses was handed over, completing the commitment made three years earlier.
Every identified COVID orphan in Alappuzha now has a permanent home!
What made the initiative stand out was continuity. ‘We Are for Alleppey’ was designed to outlast individual tenures. The sitting District Collector serves as the chairperson, ensuring oversight and follow-through. A small team of government officials and socially driven young professionals manages the day-to-day work.
Krishna Teja’s approach reflects his earlier work during the 2018 Kerala floods, when he helped plan Operation Kuttanad to evacuate nearly 2.5 lakh people in 48 hours and later mobilised rehabilitation funds through the ‘I Am for Alleppey’ campaign.
In a period defined by loss, the Alappuzha district administration, led by IAS V. R. Krishna Teja, chose responsibility. When the pandemic ended, the promise remained and was fully kept.
V. R. Krishna Teja is currently posted as the Director, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department and Joint Secretary to the Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
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