All the World (October-December 2020)

COVID-19 Emergency Services Special Issue

A WORLD W I

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Community caring in POLAND MIDDLE EAST – helping workers Shelter food in SOUTH AFRICA

OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2020

VOL 58 NO 4

INDIA – managing healthcare

CONTENTS

OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2020

Visit ALL THE WORLD at: www.salvationarmy.org/alltheworld

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UPFRONT From the Editor

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OVERVIEW A truly international response

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MIDDLE EAST Ministry to migrant workers

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HOME AND AWAY Thoughts from here and there

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LATIN AMERICA NORTH Providing practical support

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PHOTO SPREAD Examples of global work

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INDIA AND POLAND Responding as appropriate

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SOUTH AFRICA Feeding in shelters

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THE PHILIPPINES Supporting drivers

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SNAPSHOTS News from around the world

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A Beautiful Day in the WORLDWIDE Neighbourhood THERE is very little left to be said about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Things that were strange before – social distancing, face masks, mass working from home – have become the norm. What is perhaps the strangest aspect is that the response has been global, as you can see clearly through this issue of All the World. This isn’t a disaster that is limited to one country or one community – it’s a disaster that has touched every part of our world.

For an emergency services response, this creates unique problems, as The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services team members explain. If a disaster happens in my community or my nation, I would look to unaffected neighbours to help out.

In a COVID-19 world, my neighbours are having to deal with their own problems too.

And it’s not just a case of saying we’re all in this together. We are all facing the same enemy, but some people have the funds to defend themselves and fight back while others are having to fend off this deadly foe with no weapons, hands tied by poverty and from what was already a very vulnerable position.

One of my favourite Bible stories is what we know as the parable of the

‘Neighbours love without counting the cost, across borders and ignoring anything else that divides us’ Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Jesus had just told a legal expert about the absolute importance of loving God and neighbour when Mr Legal asked who was meant by ‘neighbour’.

EDITOR Kevin Sims

GENERAL Brian Peddle

DESIGN AND ARTWORK Berni Georges

Published by Brian Peddle, General of The Salvation Army

EDITORIAL OFFICE The Salvation Army International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4EH, United Kingdom Tel: [44] (0)20 7332 0101 Email: IHQ-alltheworld@salvationarmy.org FOUNDER William Booth

Kevin Sims, Editor

UPFRONT

FROM THE EDITOR

Jesus then told the well-known story about a man who was attacked by robbers but then ignored by the people who Jesus’ audience would assume to be the good guys. Instead, Jesus’ unlikely hero is a Samaritan – an undesirable, a person who most good Jews would ignore.

Today, with a world under attack, we have to be each other’s neighbours; willing to put ourselves out, to make an effort, to get down in the dirt, to go out of our way, to pay something now and promise to pay something in the future. We have to be willing to make sacrifices in order to save others. Neighbours love without counting the cost, across borders and ignoring anything else that divides us physically or metaphorically.

This is an emergency services special issue, but it’s also an extraordinary series of examples of people holding out their hands and saying: ‘How can I help you, neighour?’

‘Who is my neighbour?’ asked the legal expert, to which The Salvation Army replies in words and actions to all the people of the world: You are our neighbours. And we love you.

© The General of The Salvation Army 2020

Printed in the UK by Lamport Gilbert Printers Ltd The Salvation Army International Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales (no. 1000566) whose sole trustee is The Salvation Army International Trustee Company, a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales (no. 02538134) at 101 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4EH

OC TOBE R– DE C E M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY SERVICES

OVERVIEW

Together

by Major Alison Thompson, Major Chris Mulryne and Damaris Frick

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HEN a new virus emerged in China in December 2019, most people – including the International Emergency Services (IES) team members – treated it like any other, usually-containable local health emergency.

By mid-January 2020 the first cases of this ‘novel coronavirus’ began to be detected in Thailand, Japan and then the USA (the first case in the Americas), France (first cases in Europe) and the United Arab Emirates (first case in the Middle East). By the end of January, 18 countries outside China had reported cases.

In February the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the disease caused by the coronavirus would be named COVID-19. In early March they declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic to acknowledge the fact that it had then spread worldwide.

The reality of what this means had started to sink in at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters (IHQ) in 4 | ALL THE WORLD |

OCTOBER–DEC EM BER 2020

London, and IES began to receive the first COVID-19 prevention project proposals from India, Bangladesh, some countries in Africa and the Middle East. Guidelines and strategies started to be developed and disseminated.

Soon after that the UK, like many other countries, went into a national lockdown and IHQ staff began to work from home.

This required a new norm of daily virtual meetings, COVID-19 conferences, webinars and the formation of various new groups within IHQ to manage the situation.

Dealing with an influx of coronavirusrelated projects and activities globally while adjusting systems and processes became the IES team members’ new reality. Work trips and holidays were cancelled, people we knew became infected and even died. Suddenly the situation hit home, up close and personal.

This crisis was now affecting us, our friends and our colleagues. It had become very real.

A global disaster is not something that IES has had to deal with before. In the past all our responses took place in

a geographically contained area which enabled the pooling of resources, both financial and technical, and – where needed – the deployment of personnel from other parts of the world.

At the time of writing 188 countries (and overseas territories) in the world have confirmed COVID-19 cases and almost every country where The Salvation Army has a presence is affected in one way or another.

This global crisis not only has an impact on international travel but at a local level as well, which impacted the availability of goods – especially in the early days when personal protective equipment (PPE) and other protection material was extremely scarce. It has affected all ‘normal’ Salvation Army activities and ways of operating, including The Salvation Army’s access to funding.

Governments across the world put measures in place to mitigate the spread of the virus, including movement restrictions; physical distancing; public health, governance and socio-economic measures; and lockdown or quarantine.

Around the world colleagues worked from bedrooms with their children running

‘We live in an interconnected get through this global

INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY SERVICES

around! In some places, The Salvation Army needed special government permission to be on the road with cars or trucks, even when distributing relief items or providing essential services. Wherever our colleagues responded they had to face the very real threat of sickness or even death due to the virus.

From an IES perspective we had to find a way of supporting territorial leadership as well as project and emergency teams in their local settings that allowed some flexibility. We acknowledged that a localised way of responding and working was needed, while maintaining a global, unified response.

The direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 highlighted some of the preexisting inequalities and injustices within countries and across the world. This pandemic showed the reality that this is not about individual countries any more, but much more about global solidarity.

We live in an interconnected world and we can only get through this global crisis by working together.

On a personal level, what does solidarity mean for us? It means that we should keep a physical distance from

world and we can only crisis by working together’

other people, wear a face mask in shops and on public transport, not necessarily because it protects us, but because it protects others. It might be the case that we are amongst those who have the virus without showing symptoms.

On a work front, solidarity means keeping a global overview to ensure that The Salvation Army around the world receives support based on specific needs, experience and capacities.

It means that we adjust our guidelines and approach to reflect new research, developments and lessons learnt from the implementation of each response.

Solidarity also means that we give careful attention to those countries that might not have high numbers of cases today but where there might be a potential for an increase at a later stage.

We also need to address rumours, myths and misinformation with regards to the spread or prevention of COVID-19, seeking effective ways of sharing correct, evidence-based information.

Solidarity means enabling the sharing of stories and updates with the wider world via social media, news releases, Salvation Army publications etc to allow local voices from a variety of countries to be heard. It is also, critically, about communicating with our frontline workers in ways that work for the

individuals on the ground, despite the restraints they might face in terms of Internet or computer access.

In the end it is our people on the ground who are the heroes in this story – the people packing food boxes; the people looking after elderly neighbours, the homeless, the displaced or other vulnerable people; our medical and non-medical staff in hospitals or care homes; our teachers finding ways to keep educating children who are unable to attend school; our cleaners, cooks, drivers of trucks and mobile canteens; our pastors who look after the spiritual needs of their congregations.

For many of these Salvation Army volunteers, staff and officers, the practical expression of their faith is demonstrated by utilising their skills, time and effort. In some cases they are putting their lives on the line for the sake of others.

Let’s show solidarity with them and with the people they serve because we are all in this crisis together.

Together, Major Alison Thompson, Major Chris Mulryne and Damaris Frick are The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services team, based at International Headquarters in London, UK OC TOBE R– DE C E M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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MIDDLE EAST

MIGRANT WORKERS

Connecting at a deeper level

by Captain Robert Viera

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IKE most places around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things about daily life in the Middle East. We have seen this in The Salvation Army’s Middle East Region, which operates in several countries, including United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

When the pandemic hit, the most vulnerable people in our communities were impacted the hardest, and this is where our focus of outreach has been.

These Middle East countries which we operate in are hubs for domestic and labour migrants from across Asia and Africa who are seeking a better job prospect than they may have in their home countries. The unfortunate truth is that what they expected upon arriving or

were told as they were recruited is vastly different to the reality they face.

For many domestic and migrant workers living in labour camps in these countries the situation is already difficult and stressful during normal times. As the pandemic hit, and labour camps were forced to keep their workers from job sites, this led to many workers having no pay or facing huge pay cuts, leaving them hardly anything to provide for their necessities.

In many cases the individuals facing such needs have no family or friends in the country. Our aim has been to be a friend to the friendless and to share the love of God by showing them that we care for them – because God cares for them.

Early in the pandemic our region applied for Rapid Response (Emergency Relief) resources from International Headquarters in London. Graciously, we were granted funds to provide for food and hygiene supplies in three of our countries of operation – UAE, Kuwait

‘We are taking time to really ask questions, really get to know other people’s stories’ 6 | ALL THE WORLD |

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and Bahrain. In all three countries our efforts have been similar.

A lot of our assistance has been given directly to individuals in need living in labour camps. Often, there are nine or ten individuals staying in a room together at these camps, so the food we provided was able to benefit several individuals.

Domestic workers and individuals who earn money cleaning people’s homes is another group that was heavily impacted, as people closed off their homes to stay safe and observe the strict restrictions that were in place. As a result, many domestic workers lost their only source of income to provide food for themselves. Through our collaboration with other churches in our countries of operation we were able to identify many domestic workers in need of food assistance.

Partnering with embassies has been another way of us serving the community.

During these challenging days, many nationals with nowhere else to go turn to their embassies to seek any kind of assistance they may be able to provide.

The Salvation Army’s Middle East Region supplied several embassies with food vouchers that can be distributed to their nationals when they come seeking help.

MIDDLE EAST

Left and right: distributing essential items in a labour camp in Bahrain; below: giving out items for children in the United Arab Emirates; far right: items for migrant workers in Kuwait; bottom: providing help to domestic workers in Bahrain

This has been greatly appreciated by the embassies and has helped to build relationships with The Salvation Army As a region we are still distributing our final supplies but when we are finished we will have served well over 2,000 of the most vulnerable individuals in our communities. This simple expression of love and being able to offer someone in need a box of food, has opened up many doors to us and our soldiers (church members) as the question is asked: ‘Why are you all doing this?’ What a great question, and a great opportunity to share the love of Jesus.

This pandemic has also affected the lives of countless people who seemed to

be doing okay before. One such case is Mr Square Foko and his family. Square is from Zimbabwe and has been living in the UAE for eight years. Square initially moved to the UAE on his own, but as he settled into his job as a sales manager he brought his family north to live with him.

The main reason for having them move was so that his 18-year-old daughter Lisa, who has cerebral palsy, could get better medical care.

Shortly before the pandemic, Square was laid off from work. With a proven sales history and experience, he was qualified to get another sales job at a number of other companies and continue providing the much-needed care for his family. Then the pandemic hit.

Instantly, the many job openings began to close. No one was hiring. Due to Lisa’s sensitive situation from a previous surgery she was not able to fly back to Zimbabwe and, even if she could fly home, there are currently no facilities there that could give her the treatment she needs.

This left Square and his family with no choice but to keep looking for work.

Week after week, month after month Square applied to and called every company he could, but to no avail. Rent

fees accumulated, hospital bills built up, visa extension fees needed paying. The situation was dire.

With the little money Square could muster by selling a vehicle and some furnishings just to keep the power on, which is needed for Lisa and her ventilator, the family had zero money to provide food.

We were able to come alongside this family in their time of need. While we could not solve all their problems, we could make sure they were not lacking for food and hygiene supplies.

Knowing that Square was actively looking for work every day, we ensured that the family had what they needed to put on their table to survive. We added to this support the power of prayer. We prayed for Square daily, that he would be able to find a job so he could begin the journey back to recovery and ultimately find stability for his family.

These prayers were answered! After five months of no income, on 15 July 2020 Square started a new job. Praise God! The pandemic has caused us to focus on all that God is actively doing every day. We are paying closer attention to the details of everyday life that we often take for granted when we are dealing with the business of our normal lives. We are taking time to really ask questions, really get to know other people’s stories, and we are seeking to connect with them at a level deeper than we have been in the past.

Captain Robert Viera is Regional Commander of The Salvation Army’s Middle East Region OC TOBE R– DE C E M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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A series looking at the thoughts and experiences of people working for The Salvation Army in their country of birth and others giving service abroad

TAMEKA SHARP

Tameka Sharp is from and currently works for The Salvation Army in the United States of America.

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

After serving three years as the Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) Programme Specialist, I was recently promoted to Director of Operations for Community Relations and Development, based at The Salvation Army’s USA National Headquarters. As EDS Programme Specialist I liaised with all four Salvation Army territories in the USA as well as with private sector and national partners. I was deployed to the government-level FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) for Level 1 and 2 activations to provide coordination support and situational awareness during major events. In my new role, I provide project management, budget management and supervisory support, including for the EDS department.

HOME

What would be your typical day?

In EDS, we are always in one of four phases of the emergency management cycle – mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery. Most of my months are in the preparedness phase – my typical day would include working on just-in-time training material and resources, meeting with and collaborating with partners to discuss ways we can better serve the community as partners, particularly mass feeding; developing memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with new partners and managing grant funds that are used to support training, canteen maintenance, response and recovery programmes in the field. During response, I deployed to the FEMA NRCC to provide situational awareness and advocate for needs in the field with our federal partners.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

I have known about The Salvation Army since a teenager, playing basketball on a weekly basis in the gymnasium at the local corps (church). It wasn’t until I was working as a Partnerships Coordinator supporting Hurricane Sandy recovery in New York City in 2012 that I became familiar with its EDS programme.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

I have often listened to David Wilkerson, writer of The Cross and the Switchblade and founder of Teen Challenge and Times Square Church in New York City. He had an unwavering faith, simple yet profound teaching, and an authenticity that is admirable. But my number one hero of faith is Jesus – I can’t wrap my head around his humility and meekness.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

This changes depending on the season of my life, but currently all of Psalm 23 – you can’t separate these verses from each other!

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

‘The Day of Victory’s Coming’ (967 in The Song Book of The Salvation Army).

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How do you think that working in the USA differs from working elsewhere?

In terms of emergency disaster services, the field of emergency management is well established and I have the opportunity to work alongside and learn from a lot of talented people in many sectors – corporate, government, private and nonprofit – within and outside of The Salvation Army. The way the ‘whole community’ of partners have collaborated during COVID-19 response has been very commendable.

What do you like most about the USA? The US has a history of being very charitable and generous. It values volunteerism, especially during times of disaster.

I appreciate this about our culture.

What aspects of another country’s culture do you wish were present in the USA? That relationships are just as important as tasks.

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army anywhere else, where would you choose?

Anywhere in western Europe because of the diversity in urban cities, Church/Christianity history and because it’s the birthplace of The Salvation Army.

What skills do you use most in your work?

Relationship-building both internally and externally.

What skills do you have that you would like the opportunity to use more?

I wish I had more time to volunteer as a community member, independent of my work as an employee.

What lasting effects do you think the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the world?

The way neighbours care for neighbours. Also, the way church services/activities are performed. I think it’s requiring us to look differently at the way we do training and the way we work – it is accelerating the need for virtual training and teleworking opportunities.

How would you like to be remembered?

I certainly have a long way to go, but I’d like to walk and live according to the standards that Jesus set in the Beatitudes and by his example of being meek and humble.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

Its reach. Whenever I travel to different states and countries and come across a corps/facility, I feel honoured to be part of such a special ministry and mission. Its mission to meet both practical and spiritual needs, especially in today’s world, makes it a very relevant presence.

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MAJOR DYSON CHIFUDZENI Originally from Malawi, Major Dyson Chifudzeni works for The Salvation Army in Mozambique

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am the Projects Officer and Property Secretary in The Salvation Army’s Mozambique Territory, coordinating development and social services, as well as property management work.

What would be your typical day?

I will usually be with people in a community, sharing ideas for change and engaging with others.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

I was wandering and in search of what would be my future after my secondary education. My uncle took me to a new place away from where I grew, there I saw The Salvation Army marching. Later I joined through a youth singing group at Malikopo Corps (church), Chikwawa District, Malawi.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

The Salvation Army’s Founder, William Booth. I look at his and his wife’s passion to challenge darkness in the East End of London, and then see where the Army is today.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

First is James 1:27, which states that the religion that is pure and acceptable to God is that which has a balanced ministry of leading people to the path of righteousness and serving suffering humanity.

And John 8:32: ‘The truth [Jesus] shall make you free [saved]’ (Young’s Literal Translation).

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

‘Thou hast called me from the byway to proclaim thy wondrous love … For thy mission make me holy … Fill my life with love divine.’ (682 in The Song Book of The Salvation Army) How do you think that working in Mozambique differs from working elsewhere?

The people and culture of Mozambique are unique. The main language is Portuguese, which is not commonly spoken in Africa. In spite of this – and the country’s long background of civil war – the smiles of love from the faces of people conquer all! The country is prone to disastrous cyclones, but the unity of people keeps things moving forward, and communities are learning how to be more resilient.

What skills do you use most in your work?

Community development, management, facilitation more than teaching. I like being with people and learning from what they know, believing that together we can change.

What skills do you have that you would like the opportunity to use more?

Development and management skills.

What lasting effects do you think the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the world?

A health and economic crunch, I guess. But working together, and with continued commitment globally, God will never fail his people.

There is hope for rebuilding How would you like to be remembered?

As someone who delights in seeing the vulnerable person smile after they sit, own the problem, believe in themselves and pray to God. I think I am called to be ‘more than a pastor’, helping the whole person.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

It uses a quasi-military attitude and discipline to fight darkness spiritually, socially and physically.

AWAY

What do you like most about Mozambique?

Even though Mozambique is one of the poorest countries (180th out of 189), it is filled with good people and sits on the beautiful Indian Ocean. (I am also pleased to appreciate that my wife and children can now speak Portuguese!)

Though it sounds hard, I would go where community change and transformation are needed most, where a child and a widow and those vulnerable need attention most – and ANYWHERE in the world!

What do you most miss about Malawi?

The passion for evangelism and to make the Kingdom of God grow is what I miss from my fellow Malawians. Also, the traditional chambo fish with nsima (maize flour meal).

What aspects of another country’s culture do you wish were present in Mozambique?

I’m not sure, as culture is diverse. They need to continue being a hard-working people.

If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

For good governance and accountability to be effective, I would introduce voting for other leadership appointments (the same way the General is elected) so that merit and integrity reign for every leader.

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army anywhere else, where would you choose and why?

AWAY

OC TOBE R– DE C E M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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LATIN AMERICA NORTH

IMPACTING LIVES

Agents of change

by Ricardo Gómez

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N a time of crisis such as this current one that has been triggered by COVID-19, it has been admirably impressive for our territory – Latin America North – to receive practical and effective support from the international Salvation Army to relieve the pressing needs caused by coronavirus.

The challenge of working in 10 different countries, each culturally different from the other, and having to deal with sometimes contradictory restrictions, has been overcome by the tremendous disposition and energy of officers, soldiers (church members) and volunteers who serve in the communities

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where The Salvation Army is established.

As a result of our humanitarian work, we have collected countless life stories and testimonies that highlight the different facets of The Salvation Army’s practical and timely service and assistance to men, women and children in dire need of food.

Jorge Rivera, from Guatemala, says The Salvation Army has made a huge difference in his and his family’s lives. As a result of the loss of his work, Jorge lacks the financial resources to feed his family.

The only food he could take home was that which he received every day from The Salvation Army.

He says freely: ‘The Salvation Army has saved my life,’ happily sharing his gratitude for humanitarian assistance programmes that have been set up in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Carmen usually sells goods at an unofficial market stall at the side of the road, which she has not been able to do in the past months. She gives thanks to The Salvation Army for its mission in her country which means that she and her family are not starving.

Due to the lack of work, Carmen has no money, but she and her family only have words of thanks to God for The Salvation Army.

LATIN AMERICA NORTH

Opposite page: distributing meals in Guatemala This page (clockwise from top left): preparing food for COVID-19 affected people in Costa Rica; providing meals to homeless people in Panama; recipients line up for food parcels in Belize; meal provision in Honduras

‘Every morning we wake up with the commitment intact to reach those people who are waiting for light, a prayer, a little food’

In talking to the people who have benefitted from The Salvation Army’s help, we have found through their words the certainty that we are doing the right thing to reach the neediest people.

Our officers also have also been able to recognise the incredible impact their activities are having on people’s lives.

They in turn are offering gratitude to God for his provision and for the international support that has been received in a time of worldwide crisis.

This support and assistance gave the officers a strong feeling of unity in service and commitment to God and people.

When the call to serve the needy, the hungry and the forgotten is strongest, the officers strengthen their vocation, their faith and their commitment to the mission.

Humanitarian efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have focused on providing food but also hygiene items such as alcohol gel and disinfectant, and informational material. These have all been backed up by emotional and spiritual support for people affected by the pandemic. All of these have been

provided to the most vulnerable members of the population, such as homeless people.

For The Salvation Army in Latin America, the effects of the global pandemic have provided opportunity to publicise the mission of the Army, showing how people of all ages have benefitted without any type of discrimination.

We have also created working networks with other public and private institutions to strengthen care work without duplicating effort, always seeking to serve those who need it most.

In the process of implementing our coronavirus projects, we have found families with numerous members who have seen how The Salvation Army’s provision of food has come as the answer to a long night of prayer!

We have contributed to information campaigns to prevent the spread of the virus, with each beneficiary receiving advice on how to wash his or her hands correctly, how to apply social distancing measures, and how together we can prevent the spread of the virus.

Amid this pandemic, we have discovered the love of God in each plate of food, in each look of thanks, in each smile received. Every morning we wake up with the commitment intact to reach those people who are waiting for some light, a prayer, a little food – just as The Salvation Army’s representatives have learnt to do for 155 years.

We extend our gratitude to each of our donors because, with their help, we are able to change a life, create an impact and witness that the love of God is more alive than ever – and that it is even more visible in times of need and uncertainty.

With great joy we will continue working to fulfil Jesus’ mandate to love God above all things and to love our neighbour as ourselves, being agents of change in the midst of so much need and sadness. We seek to be an answer to prayers, to be an instrument of faith and a voice of hope.

We know our work is just beginning and we will continue to do it with the same motivation, the same love and the same dedication – always keeping in mind to be true to our slogan of ‘Heart to God and hand to man’.

Ricardo Gómez is Director of Community Projects in The Salvation Army’s Latin America North Territory OC TOBE R– DE C E M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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COVID-19 RESPONSE

The Salvation Army has overseen COVID-19 responses in more than 120 countries.

As at 20 August 2020, 120 Rapid Response initiatives, two International Emergency Services proposals and 130 Mission Support ‘Over and Above’ grants have been funded by donations organised through International Headquarters.

TYPICAL RELIEF ACTIVITIES

• Hygiene promotion (including posters and leaflets)

and the provision of hygiene materials, including hand sanitiser, soap and cleaning equipment

• Food parcels for families affected by lockdown, quarantine or loss of income

• Food support for homeless people, migrants, refugees, sex workers and other vulnerable groups

• Equipping of medical facilities to prevent the spread of coronavirus and respond to the outbreak

• Emotional and spiritual care TYPICAL RECOVERY ACTIVITIES

• Safe reopening of schools • Safe reopening of residential settings • Safe reopening of places of worship

More than two million people worldwide have benefitted from Rapid Response projects – and this figure doesn’t necessarily include all those who have seen information posters.

Salvation Army territories and commands around the world have found the most appropriate ways to respond locally.

By mid-August, for instance, in the USA alone, more than 3.2 million food boxes – each containing 20 meals – had been distributed, more than 1.5 million nights of shelter had been provided, at least 10 million meals had been prepared and around 809,000 people had been given emotional and spiritual assistance.

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COVID-19 RESPONSE

Left: treating a COVID-19 patient in the Evangeline Booth Hospital, India; above: providing essential items to elderly people in Chile; below: giving out food and hygiene items in Malaysia

Above: sharing up-to-date hygiene information in Nigeria; below: hand-washing facilities provided in a Salvation Army school in Liberia; below left: looking after homeless and other vulnerable people in Germany

OC TOBE R– DE C E M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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INDIA AND POLAND

EXPERIENCE

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FIRST met both Benny and Oleg in times of crisis.

I got to know Benny (Mr Benjamin Dhaya) in 2005 in the aftermath of the south Asian tsunami of 26 December 2004. He was working for The Salvation Army at the Community Health and Development Programme (CHDP) and Catherine Booth Hospital in Nagercoil – the closest hospital to the coast in Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu (the second worst tsunami-affected district in mainland India in terms of lives lost). We worked together on community relief, reconstruction, recovery and development projects for the next four years.

Oleg (Captain Oleg Samoilenko) I met in 2015 in Ukraine at a time when, due to the start of conflict in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in 2014, more than 1.5 million Ukrainians were internally displaced and fleeing to western parts of the country.

Oleg was a recently commissioned Salvation Army officer, based at a corps (church) in Kyiv, when that city was overwhelmed by the influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs). We worked together for the next few years on

New responses to different disasters

by Jo Clark implementing an Integrated Mission approach to support, value and integrate the IDPs. Moving on to 2020, and in light of the global crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, in April I got back in touch with both Benny (still based in Nagercoil, India) and Oleg (now a corps leader in Warsaw, Poland) to see how they were doing and to talk a little about how they were coping in the midst of this very different crisis.

Immediately following the tsunami in December 2004, Catherine Booth Hospital in Nagercoil, and Benny and his team, were completely overwhelmed with transporting and treating the injured, saving the lives of the dying and

counselling those suffering the shock and trauma of loss. Patient numbers skyrocketed to the thousands within hours. Facilities, staff and resources were stretched to breaking point.

Contrast this with the situation in Nagercoil this April, as explained by Benny: ‘At present,’ he says, ‘we don’t have a COVID-19 testing capacity at the hospital so when patients come, we don’t know who does or doesn’t have COVID-19. This lack of testing capacity is perhaps one of our greatest challenges.

According to government instructions, we have to immediately refer anyone presenting with fever to the Medical College Hospital (where testing facilities are in place). However, of course, we may still be treating patients who are carrying COVID asymptomatically.

‘Since people are more wary of going to hospital in these days, our outpatient Above: members of the self-help group in Tamil Nadu meet to pray for supporters in the USA after they received news of the COVID-19 crisis there; far left: Oleg (right) and Jo (second left) in Kyiv, on a visit to the house of a displaced woman, Vera; left: Benny (right) explains some local concerns during a project monitoring visit after the 2004 tsunami

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INDIA AND POLAND

Left: Oleg with his wife, Dominika, and their daughter; below: Salvation Army and Catholic partner teams (including Benny, centre) meet at a fishing village to see how the post-tsunami response is working

and inpatient numbers have dropped significantly. Because of this, we have had to release some staff to remain at home during this period. We were also facing additional costs of having to send out the hospital vehicle to transport staff from their homes to work (due to the shutdown of public transport) and providing meals for all staff (since all restaurants and eating places were closed).

‘Patient numbers (and therefore fee payments) reduced dramatically, so we also faced some difficult conversations and decision-making for the coming days with regards to the ongoing payment of staff salaries.’

Back in 2015, Kyiv was full of IDPs from eastern Ukraine. They had mostly fled in haste, carrying very little with them and were in great need of food and shelter. Many were traumatised and feeling ‘lost’ since the west of Ukraine, with a totally different dress, language and culture, was much like a foreign country to them.

Working out ways to connect with these ‘strangers’ and to see them as people with capacities, rather than just victims, was the principal challenge for Oleg and his fellow officers and soldiers.

This challenge of making connections has also arisen for Oleg and his wife, Dominika, in COVID-19-impacted Warsaw, but back in April it was contact with their regular congregation members which proved problematic.

Oleg told me: ‘The biggest challenge for us so far in the midst of the coronavirus

pandemic has been thinking through how to connect with our corps members.

Our congregation is mostly comprised of homeless and elderly people. It is therefore difficult since they are not online (and are not ready to be online either). Sharing church services online therefore doesn’t “fit” for our people and would be a waste of our time and energy.

‘Recognising from our own experience that people are all at home and might just be needing someone (different) to talk to, and that they almost all have phones, we started calling people for conversation, just offering to listen. We have found that this is extremely helpful to the older people who have been really open to sharing their fears, anxieties and health worries with us – things which they have told us they don’t feel they can talk to their neighbours about.

‘I think overall the greatest challenge for me is that I like to be active and visible and to do practical things. In the early weeks I therefore felt like I was doing nothing and that we needed, as a Salvation Army, to do more.

‘But then I called one lady [a member of our church] on the phone to speak with her. She said: “Do you know what has been the most helpful thing for me

‘Working out ways to connect with these “strangers” and to see them as people with capacities, rather than just victims, was the principal challenge’

in these days?” Thinking that she would speak of the practical food support, I asked her to tell me, and then she shared: “The most helpful thing for me has been the text Bible messages I receive from Dominika!”

‘At this point she helped me to realise that we are not wasting our time, although it is hard for me to get used to being quiet and sitting, and I still hold out hope to meet with people that I can speak to every time I take out the garbage!’

Back in India, following the 2004 tsunami fear was rife, fuelled by incorrect messages of the causes of tsunamis and by false prophecies of months and years to come of punishment and retribution.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, mixed messages, rumours and false information continue to confront those on the front line in India.

‘Another challenge,’ says Benny, ‘has been the mixed information which we have received from various associations regarding what is appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to use in which situation. Advice was unclear and this resulted in significant levels of stress and anxiety amongst our staff.

‘In this regard we have very much appreciated the calming effect of the clarification and guidelines sent through by Major Joan Gibson from the International Headquarters Health Desk.

This is helping us to increase confidence and reduce unnecessary levels of fear amongst both our staff and patients.

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INDIA AND POLAND

Right: Dominika distributes Easter parcels to young people linked to the Salvation Army;

‘As in many countries and communities, rumours about COVID are everywhere and can escalate quickly.

Recently, a regular cardiac outpatient of ours arrived and needed urgent life-saving attention. The patient was also displaying potential symptoms of pneumonia, but their cardiac condition did not allow for immediate referral to the Medical College. So, on doctor’s advice, we kept the patient isolated in one of the private rooms. Within an hour, rumours had spread outside the hospital that we were treating confirmed COVID-19 cases and very quickly we had reporters and police outside our gates, and reports appeared on the local TV. ‘This is something we are preparing to manage more in the coming days if the virus spreads widely [there was no reported community transmission of the virus within Tamil Nadu when we spoke in April] since the Joint Director of Medical Services has given us instruction that if the Medical College Hospital becomes overwhelmed they will refer COVID-19 cases to us. We are currently keeping two wards free to be able to manage this situation.

‘Due to fears of stigma, or of strictly enforced community quarantine – in some areas movements within one kilometre radius of a known infected home were severely restricted – or even of potentially being referred to a hospital they don’t know, a large number of people who have COVID-like symptoms are choosing not to report their symptoms and to stay at home in their communities and not go to hospital.

‘There have been incidents of medical professionals passing away from COVID19 and their families being denied burials of their loved ones due to rumours and fear associated with COVID-19. The government has now started to introduce legislation to deter people from creating issues for medical professionals.’

Back in 2015, in the Ukranian capital of Kyiv, food provision formed the major

part of the IDP crisis response by The Salvation Army for at least 18 months.

People arriving from the east of Ukraine had no money and this denied them access to food.

Five years on, in the Polish capital, Warsaw, ensuring the most vulnerable still had access to food during the lockdown weeks was also crucial, but posed some logistical challenges for the officers.

‘We have been able to help a few people with practical tasks such as shopping and accessing food,’ says Oleg. ‘We searched online and found organisations who can offer more than our resources alone allow. We are now in cooperation with a local restaurant which was delivering meals for senior people. They added those we know to be vulnerable to their delivery list, along with some others whose names were communicated to us following an advert we placed on our website.

‘Now, through our link with the restaurant, more than 100 vulnerable people are receiving breakfast, lunch

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and dinner to their homes. They have expressed their relief and thankfulness at no longer having the stress of worrying about how to buy food in these days and are now well fed.

‘Particularly grateful have been those who we referred who really were struggling but were too humble to ask for support. It was important that we thought about and remembered them and asked on their behalf.

‘During Easter we decided to buy goods to make up hampers to deliver to those with whom we have contact through our programmes and activities.

Since we couldn’t get online delivery of what we needed we went out to join the long queue for the supermarket.

‘Knowing that, in these days, stocks are restricted we went along with an official letter to explain why we were requesting to buy 23 or more of each item on our list! In the end no one asked or checked, and we were able to buy all that we had planned. Then we just had to work out the logistics of delivery with having our small baby in tow!’

In my recent conversations with both Benny and Oleg, I have been particularly struck that both of them have spoken passionately of the blessings of support for The Salvation Army’s work – particularly with vulnerable groups – which have

INDIA AND POLAND

Left: members of the self-help group in Tamil Nadu; Above: handing over equipment at Catherine Booth Hospital, Nagercoil

been coming from within the wider communities with which they engage.

This was certainly not a main topic of conversation with either of them when I first met them during the previous crises!

Benny shares: ‘Having talked much about the challenges we are facing at Catherine Booth Hospital, at the same time we are also greatly encouraged by significant signs of hope we are seeing in our local and Salvation Army communities in these times.

‘Despite the fact that our community workers from the CHDP are mostly having to work from home, on hearing the situation in the United States with respect to the COVID-19 virus, the SelfHelp Group (SHG) leaders contacted me to say that they felt they should come together to pray for SAWSO (the Salvation Army World Service Office) and the USA Central Territory who, through their project support, have been so supportive in the development of them and their families over the years. So, on 22 April, 5,500 women joined together in their homes and communities and prayed for those from SAWSO and USA Central Territory who partner with them.

‘These SHG members are also playing an ongoing crucial role in disseminating accurate COVID-19 information and raising awareness about hand hygiene

and social distancing within their communities. What’s more, they have joined together and decided to support those most affected by the lockdown in their communities.

‘Very quickly they had contributed 126,000 INR (more than £1,300) from their savings and have formed a small team to purchase groceries and sanitary items to help widows and people living with HIV in their communities. By April, they had supported 50 people living with HIV, 93 widows and 7 differently abled people, as well as 474 of their family members. This is amazing!’

And Oleg had similar experiences of the way in which people were supporting each other: ‘Through our social media pages we have been posting helpful links to services which people can access, offered by others we have links with such as legal support and advice professionals.

‘We have been really surprised at how many new people have liked our corps Facebook page in recent weeks and at how many of these are from the local area. We now have more than 400 people from our local district who are following us.

‘We have had many people – students and others – contacting us to ask if they can volunteer to help in any way. It has

been a challenge – though a good one – thinking through how we might be able to offer the opportunity to support us in these times when we are all inside our homes, without compromising the safeguarding of the vulnerable people whom we help.’

And so we see that – as different as they are – in both Nagercoil, India, and Warsaw, Poland, there remain signs of hope in communities, amidst the ongoing struggles and pain of COVID-19.

Although responding to emergencies and crises is nothing new for either Benny or Oleg (or indeed for The Salvation Army as a whole), the effects of COVID-19 have been quite different to those of previous crises which they have both encountered.

What has shone through, for me, in these past months has been the patience, adaptability, flexibility and creativity with which Benny and Oleg (and many other Salvationists and people linked to The Salvation Army around the world) have responded to a whole new set of crisis circumstances; not relying on simply replicating past activities or programmatic responses, but rather drawing upon the principles and approaches which have underpinned these responses and striving hard to work out how to respond in this particular crisis.

They both continue to seek encouragement in small things, to keep their connections open and to be ready to roll up their sleeves even further to join in with the plans which God already has for them, and The Salvation Army, within their communities.

Jo Clark is International Facilitation Specialist at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London, United Kingdom OC TOBE R– DE C E M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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SOUTH AFRICA

FEEDING ‘God bless you as you help us’

I

N late February 2020, as I watched the world numbers of coronavirus escalating, I thanked God on a daily basis that this pandemic had not reached our Salvation Army territory (Southern Africa – comprising South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, St Helena and Eswatini).

I had just returned from an international emergency services team leaders’ workshop in Indonesia and I’d also visited Singapore, where many people were walking around wearing face masks. It was not yet mandatory, but you were definitely looked down on if you weren’t wearing a mask. Travelling on public transport, you dare not sneeze or cough – and this was my experience without knowing what was going to transpire just after I returned home.

On Thursday 5 March, the news broke that we had been dreading. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a 38-year-old male who had recently returned from Italy with his

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wife had tested positive for COVID-19.

Immediately, a stigma was set, with the suggestion that if you had travelled abroad, you would be the only one to get this virus – though we quickly discovered that this was not true.

On 15 March, the President of South Africa declared a national state of disaster, soon followed by an announcement on 23 March that our country would go into a 21-day lockdown, starting from midnight on 26 March.

Almost five months later, as I write this article, we are now currently in Level 2 of our lockdown.

Today, the statistics make painful reading. As of 18 August, South Africa has had 592,144 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 12,264 deaths.

by Major Heather Rossouw

The effects have been widespread. In our Salvation Army territory, we have quite a few social centres and, from 18 March, we were informed that we had to lock down our facilities. Our early childhood development centres/creches also closed.

Our territory was approached by the Department of Social Development (DSD) to assist the government with feeding for people in homeless shelters in the Tshwane area (a municipality that includes the city of Pretoria). A territorial team was formed to quickly work through a business plan, putting together a budget and a presentation as to how we could serve suffering humanity.

Initially, we were going to run two shelters, but as we proceeded with the

‘The team has become family – we have laughed, cried and prayed together’

SOUTH AFRICA

Opposite page: setting up to provide meals for COVID-19 affected people in a shelter; (this page) left: preparing meals for distribution; below far left: meals ready to be collected; below left: Major Heather Rossouw, masked up and ready for action!

DSD, our main objective became to provide meals in the shelters for 21 days.

That was 145 days ago!

We have been feeding seven shelters, serving three meals a day to an average of 700 people. We have been working nonstop, with a team of 30 volunteers from within the Salvation Army community, working four days on and four days off.

The current plan is to continue to provide meals until 30 September.

Initially, it was tough. Funding was delayed, but we were assisted by territorial headquarters (THQ), working in good faith that the funds were going to be paid. Looking back, it was really a scenario that brings to mind the miracle of Jesus feeding the multitude. Often we would pray and ask God to stretch the meals so there was enough to go around.

He never failed us.

The team has become family and relationships have been built. We have laughed, cried and prayed together.

The programme has been directed by THQ, with the support of officers and volunteers from the Central Division.

A sample daily run of the programme would include: Breakfast: two sandwiches with either polony or peanut butter and jam, with a cup of tea/coffee. The sandwiches are prepared the afternoon before and the tea/coffee is made at 8am. We normally would go out to drop off or distribute from 9 to 10.30. Each team has three leaders who do all the drop offs and distributions of the meals.

Lunch: this is a cooked meal, with meat or chicken and a staple food (maize meal, rice or samp – an African food consisting of dried corn kernels that have been stamped and chopped until broken, but not as finely ground as mealie-meal or mielie rice). The meals are pre-packed into polystyrene containers and are once again dropped off or distributed.

Dinner: this is normally a light meal that would consist of bread with either tinned fish, savoury mince, viennas (sausages) and beans, or even hot dogs.

We strive to complete our day by 6pm. Volunteers received a stipend from the DSD funding. Since the start of the

feeding programme, more resources have been made available to the teams to do their work quicker and more effectively.

There has not been an individual or family circumstance I can share – safe social distancing makes in-depth conversation almost impossible – but I have heard many comments around the distribution table. Simple but significant phrases like ‘If it wasn’t for The Salvation Army, we would have died from hunger’; ‘God bless you as you help us’; ‘Thank you!’; and ‘Please come back!’

One personal highlight happened on 1 August at the Marabastad shelter, where we should have completed our feeding programme on 31 July. For some reason we were delayed in getting the breakfast out so I arrived at Marabastad later than usual.

As I drove into the compound, the children saw our vehicle and started clapping and quickly ran to form their line for the distribution of their breakfast, chanting: ‘You are back, we have food!’

Marabastad is the biggest shelter that we feed, ranging from 220 to sometimes 300 people. It is housed in an old prison that was turned into an overnight shelter 16 years ago for refugees seeking asylum in South Africa. Today, this dilapidated building is home to around 285 individuals of a variety of race, colour and creed.

Each shelter we feed has a different setting. Each, I have discovered, creeps into your soul in its own way. In my mind I can picture the piercing eyes not just of a child but of an adult with his or her own story and experiences.

I am reminded of the Salvation Army song ‘They Need Christ’, which says: ‘There are people hurting in the world … they need you, they need me, they need Christ.’ While the need exists we will continue to serve in Christ’s name without discrimination, providing help no matter who people are or where they are from.

Major Heather Rossouw is Emergency Services Coordinator for The Salvation Army’s Southern Africa Territory OC TOBE R– DE C E M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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THE PHILIPPINES

SUPPORT For Jesus and jeepney drivers

by Captain Verlan Rosales

O

N 16 March 2020, the Government of the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte imposed an ‘enhanced community quarantine’ (ECQ) in Luzon and its associated islands to control the spread of COVID-19. Luzon is the largest island of the Philippines, and is home to the capital city, Manila. This ECQ was effectively a total lockdown, restricting the movement of the population except for absolutely necessary work and health-related circumstances. Additional restrictions mandated the temporary closure of non-essential shops, businesses and transportation. As of 26 July, the country had recorded 80,448 cases, leading to 1,932 deaths.

As Project Officer for The Salvation Army’s The Philippines Territory I

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made contact with the Philippine General Hospital and Lung Center of the Philippines Medical Social Services – the institutions that were charged by the government to oversee COVID-19 referrals in the National Capital Region and Luzon.

They were encountering different challenges, particularly as they began to face an increasing number of medical practitioners such as doctors and nurses who were infected by COVID-19.

Lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing kits quickly became acknowledged as one of the contributory factors, with the General Hospital and Lung Center handling 10 times the expected numbers of patients.

The call went out to the public, including private and all other sectors, to provide supplies. Many have accepted the challenge and committed to face up to the difficulties together, working alongside the Department of Health and the World Health Organization to deal with this problem that has affected the whole world.

Having considered its options, The Salvation Army has focused its efforts on a few main programmes. It has been providing PPE for frontline workers to augment the stocks at the Philippine General Hospital and Lung Center of the Philippines. Hygiene and protection items have been provided to quarantined patients in designated facilities in the

‘A jeepney driver has to work long days and endure a lot of difficulties and struggles to eke out a daily living’

THE PHILIPPINES

Opposite page: a typical Filipino jeepney; above: working in the Delpan quarantine facility; right: jeepney driver Marcos Villanueva

City of Manila, with supplies distributed to the Dapitan, T. Paez, Delpan, Araullo and Tondo Sports Complex quarantine facilities.

The final area of focus has been to provide food parcels to 800 drivers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the recipients is 53-year-old Marcos Villanueva. Marcos has five children, with the youngest being 13 years old. For his job he drives what is known as a ‘jeepney’, one of the brightlydecorated buses whose sight is familiar across the Philippines.

This has been Marcos’s job for 30 years but since mid-March he has not been able to work, even as Metro Manila and other areas have shifted to the more lenient general community quarantine (GCQ) from ECQ wherein all mass transportation services were suspended.

Marcos explains that a jeepney driver has to work long days and endure a lot of difficulties and struggles to eke out a daily living. Earnings are rarely enough to afford necessities for his five children and rent a little space. He usually works from 6am to 10pm, earning around 800 Philippines pesos a day (around US$16).

A typical day for Marcos begins at around 6am, when he does his first-round trip along his route. He must complete

five such trips every day to be able to take home some money for his family.

(Much of his wages go to paying to hire his jeepney.)

‘Traffic is one of our hardships,’ he says. ‘If the congestion is terrible, I could only do four trips a day instead of the usual five. Another is the heat that we have to endure during the day.

‘As jeepney drivers we are notorious at causing traffic jams, though we hate being stuck in traffic. Congestion is horrible and no longer unusual. Jeepneys cause the roads to become more crowded when they wait too long for passengers, load and drop them off anywhere – even in the middle of the road.

So how does Marcos make sure each passenger pays?

‘We just depend on their honesty,’ he explains, but admits: ‘Sometimes there are passengers who do not pay at all – but they still ask for their change!’

The government decided that crowding on public transportation facilitates the transmission of COVID-19. Some traditional jeepney drivers have had to resort to begging due to the loss of their livelihood since quarantine measures were imposed.

Even when they were allowed to resume operations on 3 July, only 6,002 out of the estimated 55,000 jeepneys

were given permission to restart by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

Marcos has had to start asking for food and money from people who know him. He is even having to live with friends across from The Salvation Army’s territorial headquarters building and only visits his family if he can take something for them.

Marcos feels that traditional jeepneys fall in the lower tier of the government’s priorities in granting special permits to operate and that they don’t seem to be looking to help jeepney drivers – many of whom have had no income for more than four months. He is considering starting a small livelihood scheme like selling fruits and vegetables.

The Salvation Army is helping Marcos to cope while he waits for life to return to some semblance of normality. He was provided with some groceries and hygiene materials, and the leader of the barangay/village where he lives with his family has been told about his situation, so that local people can make sure his family is given the support it needs. We will also assist him to get his COVID-19 test in partnership with the Manila Health Department, meaning he has a clear bill of health when he gets the opportunity to resume his work.

He is just one of the 800 drivers who have been assisted by The Salvation Army as it seeks to help people who have lost their incomes to survive until the pandemic is over. Until that happens, Salvationists and friends in the Philippines will continue to find ways to support those who are in the greatest need, in Christ’s name and without discrimination.

Captain Verlan Rosales is Territorial Projects Officer in The Salvation Army’s The Philippines Territory OC TOBE R– DE C E M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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COUNTRY OR THEME

FROM AROUND THE WORLD

ZAMBIA

By royal appointment Mwenda Chiefdom is one of the 33 chiefdoms in the Southern province of Zambia. It is on the verge of the great Zambezi valley, making it very hilly.

Most places are hard to reach because of poor road infrastructure, so implementing a unified response to COVID-19 is far from easy.

Her Royal Highness Mrs Ellie Kalichi – Chieftainess Mwenda – has a vision to urgently reach the entire chiefdom with a response to COVID-19 through community conversation while observing social distancing, hand washing and mask wearing.

The ultimate goal is to replace fear with confidence and faith in the communities as they put in place practical measures of prevention including testing (when available), isolation, referral and contact tracing processes.

The Salvation Army, through its Chikankata Hospital, is part of the Chiefdom COVID-19 Task Force as well as the Chikankata Health District Office.

It is hoped that it may be possible to combine some trips with the Chikankata

Primary Health Care Team to maximise the use of limited resources.

The immediate plan was to raise awareness of COVID-19 and to implement behaviour change in 300 villages of Mwenda Chiefdom by 30 June 2020. Hand washing will be enhanced and enforced, and protective materials have been made available in public

places and households in 23 zones of Mwenda Chiefdom, in collaboration with Chikankata local government.

Through the work of The Salvation Army, and with the support of the Chieftainess, a community-based coronavirus response team is now in place in every village of the Mwenda Chiefdom.

AUSTRALIA

Supplies and sanitiser In the Illawarra region (New South Wales), Salvationists from Shellharbour have made contact and demonstrated their availability to the local community by putting together care packs containing a roll of toilet paper, a can of drink, an individually wrapped Tim Tam (chocolate bar), a magazine and a contact card.

‘I have been putting them on people’s doorsteps in the Shellharbour and Kiama area,’ says Lieutenant Paul Farthing.

‘One lady we delivered to said she worked in a service for the disabled where they’d run out of toilet paper, so she gave them the roll we delivered and we were able to provide some extra rolls for them too.’

Support also came from an unexpected place when a Salvation Army supporter converted his brewing business to mass-produce hand sanitiser, which he then supplied for free to Salvation Army community services.

Tim Page-Walker (pictured right) adapted his business, Bellarine Brewing Company, to produce five-litre bottles of sanitiser to meet demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. The liquid is being produced to the World Health Organization’s recommended formula.

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‘This couldn’t have come at a better time,’ says Captain Peter Hobbs from Bellarine Corps (church). ‘Our frontline workers at the Bellarine Salvo outreach van, the Geelong Salvo outreach van and SalvoConnect workers and clients in Barwon are in much need of extra protection.’

SNAPSHOTS

INDONESIA

Hoop-jumping support!

The Salvation Army’s Palu High School has been providing emergency assistance and long-term support to schools affected by flooding in Kulawi while also responding to COVID-19. As well as conducting online lessons, school registration and teacher training, the school is sending out teams to assist in less wellresourced areas.

They have used boats and motorbikes in order to reach affected communities and in some cases staff members have trekked over mountains. International Schools Director Howard Dalziel says they will ‘jump through any hoops’ in order to provide help to remote communities.

MEXICO

Giving hope Refugees and other migrants in the city of Tijuana – on the border with the USA – are among the people who are most affected by coronavirus in the region.

Many have travelled for hundreds of kilometres from Central America and beyond to reach the border with the USA, where they remain until their plea for asylum can be heard.

Most are living in crowded shelters or in makeshift tents on hard ground, so circumstances are harsh.

Representatives from The Salvation Army’s Casa Puerta de Esperanza [Door of Hope House] in the city have been distributing small care packages and cartons of beverages in order to make a difference and provide the hope that the centre’s name suggests.

USA

Tribal aid When there was a need for support in remote parts of the Navajo Nation reservation in Arizona, Whitney Tatum made a call to The Salvation Army for help.

‘It started as a small grassroots thing,’ says Whitney, who is a long-time advocate for indigenous communities. She and volunteers at her non-profit organisation, Thundermaker Cultural Recovery, have been working since April with The Salvation Army’s USA Western Territory Southwest Division to bring much-needed supplies to some of the area’s most vulnerable people.

Because about a third of the residents on the reservation don’t have access to running water, the need for hand sanitiser was a high priority to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. To date, 900 four-ounce bottles of hand sanitiser have been provided along with four pallets of water, two pallets of hygiene kits, and a pallet of disinfecting wipes.

In addition, since grocery stores are hard to come by and the community has been on weekend-long lockdowns for several months, two-and-a-half pallets of toys and a half-pallet of assorted potato chips were provided for children and families.

The Navajo Nation is the largest reservation of its kind in both size and population, with more than 173,000 people living within its boundaries spread across the deserts and canyons of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

It isn’t the only tribal community impacted by coronavirus.

The Salvation Army has also stepped in to help Arizona’s Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. After receiving a request for food, water and hygiene products in March, the Emergency Disaster Services team provided 40 pallets of food products and 400 food boxes.

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