Today, our global COVID-19 response is back in Jordan for another day. We are working with our partner organization Questscope to come alongside the community during these uncertain times. Our second COVID-19 project here is Jordan makes sure that some of our most vulnerable—young children—are taken care of. Questscope has deep relationships in the communities they serve in Jordan, and, similarly to the United States, refugees and low-income families were hit especially hard by the economic impact of this global pandemic. To support them, we were able to quickly identify families who were having trouble feeding their kids and provided 60 children with meals. This would make a huge difference to these families. One of the kids who received the meals was Sally. Sally is three years old and suffers from a calcium deficiency, so she needs special milk to make sure she gets enough calcium every day. Her father works in construction as a day laborer and his income goes to support … [Read more...] about Putting Our Kids First
Archives for April 2020
In Our Hands
Uniting Against Covid How can such a microscopic virus have such gargantuan might? We must remember: our might is stronger still, especially when we act as one. This is the moment to join together, to keep each other safe, and to protect our most vulnerable. Soon, these hands, which we use today to build walls for safety, will be used again to embrace each other as we rejoice and rebuild. … [Read more...] about In Our Hands
Sisters on the Frontlines
Partnering with Catholic Sisters to fight COVID-19 Around the Globe Did you know there’s a network of 642,000 Catholic Sisters around the world, many of them on the frontlines of COVID-19? Nuns have a long history of standing alongside some of the most vulnerable communities during times of great need, doing the doable to protect them as fiercely as they can. Recognizing the unique power of this Sisterhood, we began our work with Sisters in El Salvador and at the border in 2018 under the Color Movement initiative. Now, in this unprecedented moment, we’re helping them protect the people they serve all over the world. And, we’re working to keep them safe through virtual emergency planning sessions and trainings - so they can keep going. … [Read more...] about Sisters on the Frontlines
Working Together
Today our global COVID-19 response takes us to Jordan! We are working with our partner organization Questscope to come alongside the community during these uncertain times. Our first Changemakers 365 project is all about equipping people to better prevent and identify COVID-19. The local family protection unit and juvenile police identified that they could use some more prevention supplies. Our teams were able to provide 13 infra-red thermometers and 500 facemasks to these awesome local organizations! Not only did it fill a critical need, but it was also a great way to strengthen our relationship with these partners! This change made possible by Tradition Capital Bank. … [Read more...] about Working Together
Wash Wash Wash Your Hands
Today is the last day of setting up a new quarantine space in Nakivale. As part of our COVID-19 response, we’ve been working with our teams on the ground to identify what changes we can make to control the spread of the virus. In refugee settlements, space is an issue that presents a problem for social distancing. Over the last couple of days, we’ve been setting up a new quarantine space and today we put on the finishing touches. The final touch comes in the form of water basins. Our team procured 30 water basins so that everyone who is in the quarantine space can easily wash themselves and their clothes. These basins have multiple uses and will be able to provide a sense of normalcy to patients during these times as basins are commonly found in everyday life. “Thank you Alight for the support,” one medical worker said as the last supplies were delivered. With quarantine space ready to go, our staff are feeling much better and more well equipped to take on anything that may come … [Read more...] about Wash Wash Wash Your Hands
Water at the Ready
Today, we are back in Nakivale continuing our COVID-19 preparation. Our response in Nakivale has been focused on creating a quarantine space in the event of COVID-19 reaching the settlement. We’ve got beds, blankets, and today our staff had another great idea! Their idea was jerry cans for holding water. During this time people are going to need water to drink, wash their hands, and for cooking. The ability to keep their water with them will help with social distancing and reducing the need for excess movement. These quarantine spaces are slowly but surely becoming a human worthy place of recovery. “On behalf of OPM, I am pleased and happy for your immediate support that is great and lifesaving, if all organizations in the settlement would respond with such a positive attitude then we shall overcome this challenge as on big family with much strength,” the Deputy commandant told us. This change made possible by Tradition Capital Bank. … [Read more...] about Water at the Ready
#OurKitchenTable
In these unprecedented times, millions of us find ourselves working from our kitchen tables. We have been told to socially isolate to protect the most vulnerable in our communities. At #OURKITCHENTABLE we know that stopping the virus doesn’t take social isolation – it takes physical isolation. Social isolation is the last thing we want – in living memory there has never been a time where social contact has been more important. The COVID-19 pandemic poses problems that we cannot solve by ourselves, but when we band together around the kitchen table, we unleash our individual and community abundance to address the unprecedented global crisis we are now facing. COVID-19 has reignited community from behind our computer screens. We have banded together to organize lifesaving support to those no longer able to leave their homes, whether that be a trip to the grocery story, or a daily check-in with the most isolated. We are a global community united at our kitchen tables. Whilst we … [Read more...] about #OurKitchenTable