Our work for COVId 19 Relief

Every Infant Matters has leveraged our strengths and presence at grassroot level to provide succour from the dreaded COVID-19 in these difficult times.

Our COVID-19 response is directed towards 2 groups of people. First are those who are hungry and homeless. The second is health personnel, those who are in the front lines of fighting COVID-19 and must be protected. Our work is in India, Kenya, Nigeria and the Dominican Republic, as follows:

A. In India: 

1. We began our work in India in February 2020 by serving the most vulnerable sections of society. These were hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.  Migrant labourers and daily wagers in cities had lost their jobs. Men, women, children, hungry and thirsty and tired and exhausted, are on long marches on foot, trying to reach their native villages. We delivered essential items to these people, such as face masks, sanitisers, soaps, food and grocery kits. We distributed food and groceries to migrant workers and homeless people in 3 states of India: Delhi, UP and Assam. In Delhi we have distributed in government run shelters for the homeless. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, we served the Musahar tribals in Benaras. We distributed groceries to these people who are the poorest of the poor. They are called Musahar as they live in such poverty that they are forced to eat rats. Total 2020 people given groceries sufficient to feed them for a month, 

2. We are supporting police personnel by distributing 200 face shields and 100 sanitisers in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and to police personnel in New Delhi.

3. Distribution of Deworming tablets Albendazole, Vitamin A and prenatal vitamins in a medical camp for 350 migrant workers in New Delhi. 

4. We distributed 500 Masks and 500 sanitisers to Churu Rajasthan, for distribution in slums

5. We gave Prenatal vitamins to COVID-19 Positive pregnant women in government hospitals, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi to build their immunity.

6. We have distributed masks, sanitisers and soaps to jobless people and domestic workers lining in the remotest part of North East India. This is in partnership with a local organization dedicated to the service of marginalized communities, especially women, girls and children, from Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Orissa and Tripura. We supplied bales of cloth to the nuns for stitching masks for domestic workers.

7. We have sent 50 PPEs, 50 N 95 masks and 50 waterproof shoe covers to 4 Covid-19 quarantine centers run by local grassroot organisations in remote, North East India. These are :Singngat Youth Club, Simte Youth Organisation, United Zou Organisation, And Hlanghoi Veng Youth Club. 

8. We have carried out distribution of essential protective equipment in 5 states of India, government and private hospitals and Medical Colleges. These are given  to doctors, nurse and low paid hospital staff like ward boys, technicians, ambulance drivers, sanitary and housekeeping staff. 

We have distributed the following:

a. 3 ply masks: 1815

b. Sanitiser: 1400

c. Protective goggles: 100 

d. Face shields: 270

e. Hazmat suits or Personal protective kits (PPEs) : 1525 

f. N-95 masks: 1580

We have partnered with the Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors’ Network, to identify needs among doctors and nurses so that distribution can be done directly health staff. This partnerships saves time and resources as targeted distribution is carried out directly when and where there is a need. We have sent PPEs to the following hospitals directly, bypassing red tape and ensuring results and outcomes. 

Last week we supplied sanitisers to cleaning and housekeeping staff of Lucknow University, UP, India.

B. In Nigeria- Our local partner, Jeksume is carrying Covid-19 awareness amongst slum dwellers by carrying out educational and health camps in Calabar and Cross River states. We are imparting key messages of social distancing and wearing masks to thousands of slum dwellers, and have given Vitamin A and Albendazole and prenatal vitamins to 500 children and 1000 pregnant women to build their immunity in the pandemic. Next week 500 families (2000 beneficiaries) will be given food and grocery kits, liquid soap, face masks and sanitisers. We are now training 100,000 Community Health Workers in Africa to carry out COVID-19 awareness

C. In Kenya- Our local partner Jihusishi is creating awareness amongst slums dwellers on Mukuru slums in Nairobi to prevent the spread of the contagion. 103 families have been given maize flour, soaps, and salt, masks, sanitary napkins. Next week we shall do a similar camp for 300 vulnerable families in Kibra, the largest slum in Kenya and second largest in Africa. Kibra families have a huge co-morbidity and are at high risk for COVID -19 due to malnutrition, diabetes, HIV, homelessness and unemployment.

D. In the Dominican Republic: Our local partners Fumebo have done the following

1. distrbituted to underserved communities: they have given 567 food bags, each containing a bottle of hand saniziter , 400 masks, 30 boxes of gloves, and 560 hand sanitizer. 

2. Distribution to medical personnel- given 1150 face masks, 640 N 95 masks, 100 boxes of gloves, 300 face shields, 170 protective goggles, 220 disposable gowns.

Next week they will donate 600 food bags and 600 hand sanitizer to underserved communities, and 500 masks to a rural hospital in the southern Dominican Republic

Many of these projects are with support from the One Young World, UK, and other donors, who funded the purchase of the above items.

Hundreds of thousands of men women and children went hungry and thirsty in the exodus of migrant labourers from delhi to nearby states. They lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 scare.  they are daily wagers, construction workers, errand boys, tea stall workers and so on, a huge army of informal workers whose lives and jobs and wages are totally disorganised. We are providing groceries for several families for a whole month for each family. each relief pack has 20 kg of flour, 20 kg rice, lentils, oil, salt and spices. 

 Men women children, hungry and thirsty and tired and exhausted, are on long marches on foot, trying to reach their native villages. Most are labourers or other daily wagers who have lost their jobs. Chaotic scenes everywhere. Every Infant Matters raising funds to provide food and groceries and water.

 We work in partnership with CDI, Centre for Development Initiative, based out of Gawhati, Assam. This is the development wing of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC), an organization dedicated to the service of marginalized communities, especially women, girls and children, from Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Maharastra, Nagaland, Orissa and Tripura. A pharmaceutical supplier is arranging these commodities for us at highly subsidised rates. We have sent soaps and masks, and bales of cloth to the Nuns who are sewing 30,000 masks for domestic workers and their children

We are distributing masks and soaps and hand sanitisers to homeless people, especially children, who are malnourished and vulnerable. They live in unhygienic conditions and survive on meagre scraps of food. Even though the disease progression in children is mild, they may pass on the virus to others who fall in the high risk category.  This small step taken in the right direction may help flatten the curve. We have partnered with a local NGO called Donate a Meal, this has shelters, free meals and distribution drives for homeless people. A pharmaceutical supplier is arranging these commodities for us at highly subsidised rates.  

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