Covid19 – Emergency Food Aid
Project funded
See all projectsSince the beginning of the pandemic, Children of the Mekong has been working to continue to support children and their families in this unprecedented time. The pandemic has had numerous adverse effects; the increases in the prices of raw materials such as rice, as well as unemployment, are some of the most salient issues families have had to face. Within a region where many struggles, in normal times, to provide enough food on the table for a single meal a day, such conditions have put numerous lives at risk. Our local managers have been assessing the needs of our sponsored children and their families, and we have been adapting our efforts to make sure we meet the most pressing needs in the field.
We have remained hard at work at a time when the need for our support has been greater than ever. In the last 12 months, thanks to the work of our local programme managers and the support of our loyal donors, we were able to help 25,000 households which represent over 100,000 people, with obtaining basic essentials and work to prevent school dropouts.
Nonetheless, the current situation does not allow us to rest. Domestic and community violence have been aggravated because of the successive lockdown and scarcity. Food remains scarce. Many young people are dropping out of school as they cannot keep up through online teaching, mainly due to a lack of stable internet and power sources. We thus need to pursue our efforts. We will not only continue to survival food aid and support against school dropouts, but we are also working to promote access to medical care and personal protective equipment (e.g. gel, masks, gowns, respirators, oxygen tanks and medicines).
With £45, we can feed a family of 4 people for 1 month (the purchase of 85 kg of rice).
Our principles of assistance in the field:
- 1 for 10: focus on the children sponsored by Children of the Mekong. If a family of a sponsored child is affected, we offer our help. There is a possibility of helping other families if a reliable local leader comes to us.
- No duplication: assess the needs and check if they are other local support in place
- Towards sustainability: identify how to move this aid towards child sponsorship.