Covid19 relief for street children

BACKGROUND

The Philippines had its first COVID-19 case on January 30, 2020, and its first documented local transmission on March 7, 2020, after which the infection has steadily spread to almost all parts of the country. A public health emergency was declared on March 9, 2020. Metro Manila was placed under community quarantine (i.e. lockdown) on March 15, 2020, and just two days later, the entire Luzon was placed under enhanced community quarantine. All forms of public transportation has stopped, and all schools, and public and private offices and establishments are now closed, except for those providing necessary services. Barangays, municipalities, and cities have enforced their own lockdowns, and everyone (except for the frontliner workers) are now forced to stay inside their homes.

Amidst all these efforts to stop the spread of the virus, the vulnerable sectors of society, especially the poor and underprivileged, have suffered greatly as their sources of income, if any at all, are now strictly prohibited. They are forced to rely on relief goods from the government and some private organizations. Living a hand-to-mouth existence before the pandemic, now they have no money or savings for food and medical expenses. Worst of all, they have little or no means of avoiding and preventing the spread of the infection.

In response to these critical problems, Childhope Philippines launched the #DeliveringHope Project, which aims to conduct relief efforts, focusing on augmenting the need for food as well as hygiene and sanitation needs which are important for the determent or prevention of the spread of the dreaded illness.

QUALIFICATIONS TO CONDUCT RELIEF OPERATIONS

Childhope is a registered, licensed, and DSWD-accredited social welfare agency. We are inherently mandated to respond to the needs of our beneficiaries most especially in times of crisis. We have also obtained permission from the barangay where our headquarters is located to conduct relief operations, hence we are among those exempted from the lockdown.

MANPOWER AND PROCEDURES

1. Relief packs and hygiene kits distribution

Procurement of goods and mobilization of donations are done by the Resource Mobilization and Communications Unit. As such, fundraising and call for donations, whether monetary or in-kind, are done remotely in our homes, as we are put on work-from-home status. Work for the team continued despite declaration of suspension of street-based operations, particularly face-to-face learning sessions due to the lockdown.

Distribution of donations are done by 2 drivers and 3 staff who have signified readiness to do the job. They are being paid extra and provided with necessary protective supplies and equipment (masks, shields, gloves, alcohol) while doing the distribution. A list of the beneficiaries' known addresses is on-hand and prepared by the Program Manager, with the help of street educators.

The street educators coordinate with the beneficiaries on the schedule of distribution of the relief packages, as well as follow-up on their current status in the communities/places where they stay.

There are specific drop-off points where the beneficiaries meet with them, observing social distancing measures during distribution. Each drop-off point has a street educator waiting to assist in mobilizing the children.

2. Primary health care learning sessions

Online sessions on primary health care, particularly in understanding Covid19, is conducted by street educators. This also includes hygiene and prevention practices in order to help curb the spread of the illness. Children participants are given mobile load credits which they can use for the live online sessions delivered by the street educators on a specified time. The children often use mobile phones which are borrowed from their parents or relatives during these sessions.

3. Medical consultations

Clinical consultations are made via telemedicine and face-to-face consultations coordinated by social workers with the KliniKalye (mobile health clinic) medical doctor. Medicines are dispensed to beneficiaries through their respective street educators.

4. Counseling

Social workers also do online counseling as well as face-to-face home visits to assess the situation of the children and their families. All staff of Childhope who conduct face-to-face visits is given the proper protective equipment (face mask, face shield) and hygiene kits.

TARGET AREAS AND BENEFICIARIES

At the onset of the project, we aimed to reach 500 children and youth beneficiaries who are part of the STEP Program. We prioritized those who are members of street families who have nowhere else to go to for shelter or get food supplies from the local government. We reached out to beneficiaries from the cities of Manila, Caloocan, Pasay, Paranaque, and Quezon City--delivering much-needed food supplies and hygiene materials to help augment the need for such during the enforced community quarantine.

FOOD PACK CONTENTS

Each food pack is worth Php1,000.00 and contains the following:

10 kilograms of rice

noodles

ready-to-eat foods like canned fish and meat, biscuits and powdered milk

HYGIENE KIT CONTENTS

Each hygiene kit is valued at Php1,000.00 and contains the following items:

Washable face masks

Face shield

Disinfectant cleaner

Isopropyl Alcohol

Bath soap

Multivitamin supplements

KEY PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

For the period indicated above, the following have been accomplished under the project:

 Key accomplishments

Total amount of cash donations received  - Php5,182,065.13

Total number of food relief packages distributed - 4,371

Total number of hygiene kits distributed - 1,416

Total number of cooked meals distributed - 2,031

Total number of recipients of nutritional food supplements - 1,172

Total number of recipient families - 1,472

Total number of barangays given relief aid - 32

Total number of school supplies distributed- 294