By Martin | GHNI TCD Worker
Our Women’s Empowerment Centers (WECs) are currently closed due to COVID-19, but we remain in touch with our staff and students. The women and girls have learned how to have a healthy life and a thriving community. We hope that the quarantine will be over soon so we can resume our Transformational Community Development (TCD) and English lessons. They are eager to start class again at the center!
Over the course of this month, we distributed various kinds of vegetable seeds to help people in the village boost their immune systems and have fresh food for the summer and fall. We also distributed liquid soap to about 90 people after teaching about hygiene, trying to ensure that participants wash their hands many times each day.
The health trainer is reading BLLiSS (Birth Labor and Life Saving Skills) books to prepare to teach women how to keep themselves healthy during pregnancy and after giving birth once the lockdown is over. The trainer said that since we started health lessons the number of patients in the local hospital has decreased significantly, even during the pandemic.
One of the young women we have been working with has made a huge difference in her community. Shirin* is a 20-year-old student. She lived in Iran with her family for many years. She speaks Farsi with an Iranian accent and also wears traditional Iranian clothes. When we held English classes before the coronavirus outbreak, she attended both primary and middle-level English classes.
During the lockdown, she has memorized our disease prevention instructions. Since the coronavirus began, she has taught women how to properly wash their hands and how to keep their homes and community clean. She has helped dozens of women keep themselves and their families safe during these challenging times. Shirin also uses pictures and coronavirus awareness brochures from the ministry of Health.
The women and many of the parents of the students said that due to the virus, they have lost their jobs and incomes. We are looking forward to reopening our centers, but also grateful we are able to to still help the community!
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