COVID-19 Tajikistan Project #46444

COVID 19 awareness, response and recovery

by Operation Mercy

Project Report | Nov 19, 2020
raising awareness and fighting conspiracy

By Andrea Vogt | International Director Operation Mercy

Dear Friends of Operation Mercy,

COVID 19 continues to rage around the world, just a few moments ago i read that every 17 sec a person is dying in Europe related to COVID 19!

The numbers and statistics from our countries are much more unclear, the unknown figures high, so we continue to provide aid but also increasingly as we restart our ongoing community health projects include COVID 19 awareness raising and education in our daily work.

Today I have a story from Jordan for you, another team that benefited of the generous gift we received from GlobalGiving a few months ago. Here is what our Country Director from Jordan writes:

"Before the Community Health Team went to the house for a follow-up visit, the family was told that we will all be wearing masks because of the COVID situation in Jordan. After entering the home, the father said, “I think this is all political. I listen to professors online, who explain about the conspiracy theories. You should watch these videos too. COVID is not true. The government says there are large numbers, but we don’t get to see it or people with COVID. They are just trying to control us.” Our team member replied, “It is real, and we know of people who have had it. You need to be careful, especially because you are older.” The whole family, including the adult children, believe COVID is a lie. We asked the 29 year old daughter, “When you go to places, do you wear masks?” She replied “Yes.” We asked, “Why do you wear masks if you think that COVID is not real?”. She said, “Because if it is true, then my parents will be safe.” We explained again that it is true, and cautioned them, “Your family needs to be careful to not give it to each other in the family.” This went back and for some time. Then dad tried to show us videos explaining his point. Since we had said all we could say, we moved on with our medical assessment/follow-up of family members, which was the other reason for our visit.

In the past few weeks, with more people knowing someone who has Corona, we are dealing with other conspiracies. For example; this rumour: "People, who are COVID positive and hospitalized, are being given medical treatment trials, which causes them to die. "

Another one is: "Patients, who are being hospitalized and don't have COVID, are being injected with a bad vaccine trials and dying."

All of this is encouraging people to not get tested, nor to seek medical help when needed."

Thanks for continuing to stand with us and support this important project that brings correct infomration as well as phyiscal aid and relief to people in the midst of the pandemic.

Yours Andrea Vogt

Links:

Permalink

Sep 15, 2020
help for Refugees in Northern Iraq

By Andrea Vogt | International Director Operation Mercy

Dear friends

a few weeks ago GlobalGiving gave us an extra gift for this project to support our work in the refugee camps in Northern Iraq.

Today I received back the first report from our team there, the first group we were able to support with specific items needed during the COVID 19 crisis were the participants of our Disability programme.

"The first thing we did was providing the families we serve a food and hygiene kit as a Covid-19 response. We were able to provide kits for 65 families spread over 7 camps. The packages differed in size tailored to the number of family members and based on the family's income. We asked how each client has been doing and we were able to hear their stories and encourage them.

For many this season has been difficult as their income has decreased. Some families work in the fields and because of lockdowns were not able to sell their crop for a good price. Others could not work at all during lockdowns or lost their jobs. One family had hardly any food left and finished their last rice a few days before we came. Imagine the joy of this family when they received 20 kilos of rice plus other food items.

Now it's time to continue our physical therapy program. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 we cannot start our peer groups bringing different clients and their families together. However, we can visit them apart from each other in their homes and work on their physical improvement and bring encouragement. It has been encouraging to see that some clients have improved quite a bit physically since the last time we met. We'll continue to come along side working for better integration into their community."

Other parts of the GlobalGiving funds went to Kazakhstan and Afghanistan - watch this space for more updates soon.

Thanks for being a hope giver with Operation Mercy

Yours Andrea Vogt

International Director.

Permalink

Aug 10, 2020
generosity and shifting gears ...

By Andrea Vogt | International Director Operation Mercy

Dear supporters of our CIVID 19 response,

we want to continue to update you and thank you for your generosity, I hope this reaches also those who gave to the GlobalGiving general COVID response which we have benefitted greatly from thsi last week. Thank you GlobalGiving!

We have also continued to submit proposals elsewhere and received funding from individuals of support in Sweden, Austria the UK as well as some larger donations from other donors. THANK YOU!

This is also why we have updated our budget today. beyond the income received directly here.

The work continues to bless many people who are in extreme situations ongoingly - only to face even worse vulnerabilities through COVID 19 restrictions or illness.

Some examples of what we have done and what we will do with the latest gift of GlobalGiving.

In the refugee camps in Northern Iraq we have distributed hygiene and food packs to all participants in our Community based rehabilitation project, this helped to stay safe and feed in the crisis and lock down, but also provided an opportunity to check up on the children and their family and their physical therapy home work! The latest gift will go to these communities mainly and enable us to continue this follow up and support during a continued lock down in the camps.

In Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia and Kirgizstan we have worked with the communities, local food banks and faith based organisations to distribute food to the most vulnerable in the community, give psycho social support as we chat with people over the threshold of their gates and doors and follow upon WhatsApp or the phone.

In Jordan our regular refugee clinics are picking up their work again, after the lock down is lifted, also advising and providing special care in relation to COVID 19 fears and awareness.

In Afghanistan the situation continues to be extremely heavy, our booklets have been picked up by many and continue to educate people on the virus and how to stay safe. We are providing protection gears and masks to local clinics partnering with our "Birth life saving project (BLISS), hygiene packs to the communities of our Self-help groups, the WASH project and many others. Almost everyone in our office has lost a loved one in the last months in Afghanistan - tests are not available but it is suspected that many died of COVID 19.

Thanks for standing with us as we shift gears towards that need for this project here and focus on Afghanistan in the next months ahead. If you want to give to one of the other countries simply leave us a note with your donation!

Thanks for your partnership

Andrea Vogt

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.