Everyday living in the context of COVID-19 pandemic brings with it a new suffering: isolation, losing jobs, finished food, the impossibility to get out to fulfil primary needs, sicknes, worries…. Although the number of those affected by this virus increases every day, and with it increases the risk of infecting, ADRA Romania finds ways to reach the people in need. In the fifth week since the dedicated project "COVID-19 Humanitarian Support" started, ADRA Romania offers good help for 1086 beneficiaries.
The help ADRA provided in this time of crisis went to 519 people who have extremely low income, 350 people with disabilities or from the roma community, 157 isolated elderly people, 42 entrepreneurs with difficulties in continuing their economic activities, 12 refugees and the 6 domestic violence victims in our dedicated centre.
Thus, between 5th-11th April 2020, ADRA Romania managed to get help for 1086 people by offering assistance according to their momentary needs that were generated by COVID-19 outbreak, as it follows:
- 832 people with low income, on the threshold of subsistence have received packages with staple foods.
- 119 people from disadvantaged backgrounds have benefited from food and hygiene products or medicines needed to prevent COVID-19 infection;
- 86 people benefited from general medical and prevention services, as well as social services and psychological counseling for crisis situations, 75 people received a warm meal at home;
- 45 entrepreneurs were monitored and guided to overcome the current economic obstacles;
- 4 people received furniture articles adapted to their needs and requests;
Within the project "COVID-19 Humanitarian Support", specially created for the current situation, ADRA Romania aims to reduce the risks generated by the occurrence of the COVID-19 virus among the population, the objective being achieved by promoting the measures of prevention and socio-economic adaptability and by ensuring the need for basic products to maintain safety.
The humanitarian aid provided by ADRA Romania consists of information, awareness, counselling and food and hygiene products distribution was carried out by the qualified personnel of the ADRA team, who acted according to the security and safety policies and the norms imposed by the current laws of The World Health Organization (WHO), the Strategic Communication Group, the Ministry of Health, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), in partnership with local authorities and accredited institutions. Some specialized services have been outsourced.
"In this crisis moments, the desire to help those in need is growing. ADRA Romania offers assistance both to the elderly beneficiaries and to the mothers with children between 0 and 2 years old, from Babadag city in Tulceacounty. We have found a way to offer counselling and to ensure that the therapeutic relationship is not affected and the beneficiaries feel safe. In addition to the telephone counselling, I go home to each one to offer food and sanitation products purchased within the ADRA Romania project "COVID-19 Humanitarian Support". In order to protect our own immune system, as well as those around us, physical hygiene is not enough.
In addition to winning the fight with the new virus, the fight with stress is just as important; and in this case, mental and emotional hygiene are the defining ones. It is useful to wash our hands regularly, to respect the rules of physical isolation and social distancing; However, our immune system suffers if during all this time we lose ourselves in the swamp of worries, we are overwhelmed with fear or we destroy the safety of those around us”, said Adina Musat, ADRA Psychologist ADRA Romania.
In times of crisis, the normalcy of the poor are always near you draws our attention on how vulnerable we can become, and this thought makes us more human. As part of ADRA’s project "COVID-19 Humanitarian Support", in the last weeks we have been able to offer supplies to children who have had the monotonous days of isolation, food for those who remained unemployed and medicines for the sick. When those in need see that there is still humanity, that they matter and are not forgotten, they have a moment to catch a breath from the pressing concerns of life. It is a blessing to be able to help people and receive gratitude in different languages (Romanian, Hungarian, Romani), because ADRA values all people equally. I don't think it would be fair to say that because of COVID-19 many people have come to know ADRA. The ADRA Romania team is known for its empathy through various projects at national level.
The dedication of the ministry is the strong point of those who make ADRA”, said Vasilica Mettler, Volunteer Assistant Manager, ADRA Romania Project Coordinator in Southern Transylvania.
Do you want to be a part of it?
Those who wish to join ADRA Romania team in the project " COVID-19 Humanitarian Support" and to get involved, can do so by:
• volunteering (you can contact the ADRA project coordinators at regional level);
• material donations (hygiene products), but also through
• financial donations to the ADRA accounts (specifying the project) or
• donating it right now directly on the site adra.ro/doneaza, by specifying the project at destinations.
About ADRA Romania
Since 1990, ADRA Romania is involved in special projects to provide care for the beneficiaries in the whole country. Leading its projects under the motto "Justice. Compassion. Love.”, ADRA Romania brings joy and hope to the elderly beneficiaries through which a better value and human dignity are promoted in the future. As provider of accredited social services, ADRA Romania is a part of the ADRA International network, the global humanitarian organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, one of the most wide-spread non-governmental organizations in the world, being active in more than 130 countries and is implemented after the philosophy that caring combines compassion with the practical spirit, addressing people in need, without them being of a particularly race, ethnicity, political orientation or religion, just to make a human service so that the worldcan coexist as planned.
To read the original article, go here.
