In celebration of 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 day on October 15, our teams presented their commitments to promote #CleanHandsforAll, spreading awareness on the importance of handwashing with soap to prevent diseases like COVID-19, and save lives. 💙💧🧼
Undernourished people, especially young children, who contract COVID-19 could be at greater risk. While elderly people are deemed most at risk of COVID-19, the virus attacks the lungs, which is especially alarming for undernourished children whose risk of mortality increases 15-fold if they develop pneumonia.
To counter this, we need to support health facilities in their fight against the pandemic. In addition to this, we are working hard in maintaining the continuity of our maternal and child health programs.
You can help us strengthen and expand our activities focused on child malnutrition, support for women and psychosocial support.
𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗪:
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations/
Part of our initiatives in preventing the spread of the coronavirus is by strengthening our risk communication and community engagement efforts which have reached more than 200,000 people.
Wherever we work, we motivate families and communities to uphold proper hygiene and sanitation practices through our hygiene promotion sessions, allowing them to understand the value of hygiene in fighting infectious diseases, as well as hunger and malnutrition.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations/
Written by Joayra Gem Balagtas for Action Against Hunger
82-year old Pedro Sanchez has been living alone in the evacuation site in Perez, Kidapawan ever since the Mindanao earthquakes last year. All three of his children now have families of their own. They would sometimes send him financial help, but it is usually not enough to support Pedro since their families have needs as well.
More than a year ago, Pedro was diagnosed with diabetes and suffered a stroke, and he hasn’t been able to walk ever since. He can hardly hear as well, which he says could probably be because of his old age.
Pedro relies on his good neighbors for assistance in taking care of himself. Whenever he has money, he asks his neighbors to buy him supplies and food. They also volunteer to do his laundry and other chores that he has trouble doing by himself. However, there are days where his neighbors aren’t around to help him, so no matter how challenging, he does these tasks on his own.
Last September 21, our 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 provided Pedro a wheelchair, to help him go through his daily activities with more ease. Teary-eyed, Pedro expressed his gratitude as he saw the wheelchair being pulled towards his tent.
Pedro is one of the 200 target beneficiaries to receive health and protection assistance as part of our 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 #𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗼𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗸𝗲 which is funded by the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid – ECHO.
To find out more on our Emergency Responses in the Philippines, go to:
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/what-we-do/…
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us, some more so than others.
The unemployment rate of 17.7% for April 2020 is the highest ever recorded. As of September 24, we have reached 454,125 Filipinos with our projects, providing families with essential goods and services. But, In the face of this unprecedented crisis, we need to act fast and do more to help those who need it the most. 𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽.
𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗪.
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations/
“How I can help maintain the health of my child?” asked one of the fathers at Rorogagus East Transitory Site in Marawi City yesterday during a Nutrition Sensitization Orientation conducted by our Iligan team.
Both mothers and fathers actively participated in the discussions. Since the facilitator highlighted men’s contribution and influence in ensuring the proper health of their children, the fathers volunteered to practice taking MUAC measurements of children and pregnant & lactating women (PLWs).
Funded by Sida – Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete, the activity focused on detecting malnutrition through the use of Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tape. The attendees were enlightened of the fact that through this simple assessment, a child can be saved from the negative consequences of malnutrition through early detection.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵:
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/what-we-do/…
The future looks uncertain for 7.3 Million Filipinos who now find themselves without a job.
One vital part of our projects is livelihood training, making sure that our beneficiaries adapt to the situation and develop new skills to continue providing for their families.
𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻.
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations/
Aldin Beta-A is more than a DRR Supervisor for our MOVE UP 3 Project, he is one of our Real-Life Heroes.
After spearheading the Resilient Livelihood Support turnover for 50 families in Marikina last September 18, he shares his experience as a humanitarian worker and working tirelessly to help others amidst the pandemic.
When did you start being involved in development work?
My initial employment was focused on ancestral domain management after I graduated back in 2000. After that, I was mostly involved in the agricultural field and was also part of an earthquake rehabilitation program. In 2006, I was deployed in Southern Luzon, in Aurora, for a community disaster risk reduction program. Thereafter, I was more involved on humanitarian responses during in 2013 until now.
What were your struggles as a humanitarian worker, especially now during the pandemic?
Well, the normal struggle is how to expedite the process given that time is limited, and especially now that transportation between areas have become challenging. The common way we communicate now is through non-face-to-face interactions which can be challenging when it comes to decision-making.
What motivates you to continue a career in humanitarian work?
As a humanitarian worker, it is common in our DNA to help others and doing no harm, so that motivates me to help others even if it needs more patience or innovative ways of getting things done.
What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
My hope for the future is for us to continuously adapt. I see that we constantly change as a society, even though we experience many hazards or risks. I see that as we can adapt to these different disasters and emergencies, and cope as human beings.
Moving Urban Poor Communities Toward Resilience (MOVE UP 3) is an urban disaster risk reduction (DRR) project which aims to build resilience among urban poor communities in Mindanao. With funding from the European Union, MOVE UP 3 is implemented by a consortium of partners consisting of Action Against Hunger Philippines, Plan International Philippines, CARE Philippines, and ACCORD Incorporated.
Humanitarian crises create devastating impacts to the communities affected, but what is most scarring is the psychological trauma and stress that these emergency situations leave behind.
We are steadfast in mitigating these impacts and work closely with several conflict-affected communities in Mindanao.
Thus, last August, we facilitated an 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 for 60 community volunteers, leaders and LGU health staff members from the municipalities of Saguiaran, Kapai, Balindong and Madamba in Lanao del Sur, and Municipality of Pantao Ragat in Lanao Del Sur.
Funded by EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid – ECHO, the training was part of our ‘Response to the Unmet Humanitarian Needs of the Most Vulnerable Conflict-Affected Populations in Mindanao’ (REACH) Project in partnership with CARE Philippines and Oxfam Pilipinas.
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