COVID-19 Relief in Indonesia: Food & hygiene kits

I am a child of a single parent who struggles to make ends meet, especially in the midst of a pandemic. The income of mothers like mine who work washing clothes is much reduced when their customers’ incomes decrease. The burden my mother bears is quite large. Besides having to support my brother and me, my mother also had to support my grandfather’s living expenses.

The food assistance provided eased my mother’s burden and was very beneficial for my family. My mother did not have to worry all the time about how to feed us or have to work too hard to meet our daily needs. The food basket provided my brother and me with nutritious food. The food is part of the holistic support from our Compassion centre. We were also given equipment so that we could attend school online and study well.

I am always optimistic that God will not allow us to be in need and I have faith that God will provide what we need in the right time.

In all difficulties, God will surely help, fulfill and bless us. I am forever grateful for God’s help and His love to me and my family.

Thank you for the help that we received, which is very beneficial for me and my family. God will bless us all abundantly in His richness and grace. Amen.

Our partners in Indonesia gave food baskets and hygiene kits to 19,000 vulnerable children and 2,000 caregivers, helping them to weather the storm of the pandemic. When the churches told people in their communities about the COVID-19 relief packages, it gave them hope to carry on.

Food baskets containing one month of nutritious food helped families of people working in the informal sector to stave off malnutrition during the crisis. Knowing they had food, caregivers could comply with government orders to stay home. Receiving this food and some essential household items allowed caregivers to reallocate funds to other necessities. In addition, hygiene supplies such as face masks, sanitizer and soap helped prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Through other Compassion programs, children and youth received equipment to study online. Their ongoing spiritual, social and physical needs continued to be met through their Compassion centres. Your gifts provided food and hygiene supplies that were a critical part of holistic care for these children during the pandemic.

Thanks to your support, local churches were the first to organize relief programs for children and families, even before the government issued aid. God was glorified as communities recognized Christian churches as taking the first step in helping others. Centre staff became even more valuable to their communities as they were equipped to make decisions in emergencies. This empowering knowledge will help them plan for and deal with future disasters and will continue to bless their communities.

Your generosity has brought relief to 21,000 people in Indonesia who were struggling to get by. Your help of vital food and hygiene items has made the world of difference to families in need. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus during this crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic period has made people experience a lot of problems in life. It is very difficult to meet basic needs and this condition has become urgent for beneficiaries. The frontline church partner understands and pays attention to these needs by doing interventions like this one as a solution.

The condition of families who live in poverty is not only those with a need for food but refers to the condition of their family members and those who have no jobs. On average, their jobs could only meet their daily food needs. The number of family members varies, the level of education is low and access to health facilities is difficult.

When the COVID-19 pandemic happened, their situation was made even more difficult. When the church came and brought the news of the relief plans, how grateful the people were! This help made them able to continue on during these tough times. The intervention answered the urgent need to ensure that their physical condition was maintained in the need for both food and hygiene tools so that they could maintain physical hygiene to try to prevent disease.

The church has become the centre of attention for the community as an initiator in helping others according to their capacities and resources. During the pandemic, the local church was the first to organize an intervention program for the children and families by providing basic necessities and hygiene kits even before the government finally issued an aid policy to the community. Not only that, but the frontline church partner was trained to make decisions in urgent conditions and on how to maximize existing networks to complement every need. Most of the centre staff are church members who have also felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The church has learned a lot about how to prioritize interventions to answer needs, see resource opportunities and learn to think of program strategies that will be useful for other emergency situations. Thus, with this proposed intervention, the church had the chance to plan ahead in dealing with disaster/emergency situations for the beneficiaries and how to involve the closest stakeholders, including the local government.

We are very grateful for all this support, which is an answer to our prayers. God works through all sponsors and donors who have given sincerely and compassionately to vulnerable children. God bless your lives with blessings, health and peace. Amen!