With their everyday work activities on hold, several of our young leaders have initiated practical strategies in response to the Covid-19 outbreak in their home countries.
In Indonesia, Rosa is working with her local team to install hand-washing facilities in public places in Nagakeo. Her NGO, WISE, is also providing emergency medical assistance to hospitals in Flores island responding to COVID-19.
Yuli Benu is using a WhatsApp group to keep in touch with her project participants, sharing both practical advice and the COVID-19 counselling helpline number with them.
In Kachin state, Myanmar, Brang Chyoi returned to his village in the far north and called a community meeting, after which he and others have run health awareness programmes. In addition, after some political lobbying of the Education Ministry, they successfully established in a public school a community quarantine centre for returning internal and external migrant workers.
In Myanmar’s Dawei region, where thousands of migrant workers are returning from Thailand through illegal border crossings a number of our alumni are involved in a Covid-19 Committee and have circulated information and advice about keeping healthy. Aung Lwin has also helped establish a local quarantine centre for 18 villages, and organised an outdoor educational film night for people quarantined at Kanbauk school .
In Mindanao, the Philippines, Abubakar (Abs) Basman is a member of the Lanao del Sur Inter-agency COVID-19 Task Force and is working as a frontline responder in his province during the pandemic. Abs reported that they have insufficient protective equipment to keep themselves safe in their line of work but they are doing all they can to address these issues.
Ainee Lipae is coordinating members of the Student Section Force Tawi Tawi Chapter and the women involved in her change project to raise funds and distribute food to workers most affected by the strict community quarantine that prevents them earning money to feed their families.
