By Katelyn Panzarella | Coms, Data, Events & Resource Mobilization Manager
Although this has been an interesting year, and projects such as this are unable to go according to plan due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and more specifically, students not being at school, we do still have updates, and have made some progress with distributing dignity packs to those in our communities who need them most. We also have not raised as much funds for this project as we would have hoped, since we started an emergency relief campaign for those impacted most due to the national lockdown caused by the pandemic.
As of today, we have raised just shy of 15% of the funds we would need to provide 120 kids with dignity packs each month. From January- May of this year, 12 students (10% of 120 students projected to benefit) have received a dignity pack each month, totalling to 60 dignity packs. As we evaluate how to move forward and spend that additional 5%, we are on track to guarantee we are identifying the kids in our schools and communities who really do need this service the most. Since we do not have the funds to provide the packs to 120 students, its becomes even more important to make sure those who we do give dignity packs to, are in fact the ones who need it the most.
The 12 children and youth who are receiving dignity packs each month are living in such dire circumstances, that they have been referred to our psycho-social support department from other community authorities, such as schools, police, and Moya caregivers. Most of what Moya tries to do is sustainable, but each year, a short list is compiled of families in the absolute worst circumstances, who literally need Moya’s assistance to survive. This list is compiled from December-January, and so since then, the children and youth in those families have received dignity packs. This has allowed us to continue this project, even on a small scale, while school is not in session, while also allowing us to provide the basic necessities for proper hygiene to families who need these items the most, including adolescent girls and young women who have no access to sanitary pads.
It is projected for schools to resume sometime in July. Luckily, we were able to train this year’s Peer Supporters for all highs schools and primary schools before the pandemic arrived in country. This means that as soon as school resumes, we will have an opportunity to meet with them, and they will then identify students who need dignity packs. Due to the limited number of packs we will have available, we may decide to change recipients each month dependent on need and circumstances.
We are so thankful for all of the support our donors have offered us on this campaign, and would like to ask that we all work together to continue to inform people about this project. As families struggle through this pandemic with very little or no income, also needing to feed their children an extra meal each day since they are out of school, hygiene items are needed more than ever as well. These important items were already unaffordable for so many, and now it has just become an impossible situation for those children and youth.
Please note that due to the sensitivity of this project, we cannot provide photos of recipients. However, we attached our recently published annual stakeholders report for 2019, and would love for you to take a look at all of the work we were able to accomplish last year, while also getting to know Moya Centre a little better.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
