ADRA Bangladesh Responded to the COVID-19

Most of the people in the rural areas of Bangladesh are poor and illiterate. Amid this pandemic and lockdown situation, they could not afford three meals a day properly. Even they cannot afford masks to protect themselves from the COVID-19. Torments of the poor people in the rural areas of Bangladesh knew no bounds.

Capacity Building of Farmers Family (CBFF) project of ADRA in Bangladesh has taken a wonderful initiative to respond to the COVID-19. Its beneficiaries are preparing masks using clothes in their home and distribute it among the underprivileged community people. “Since we have limited resources and capacities, we can’t do much more for our vulnerable community. Though we have a great desire to help more and assist the distressed people by providing them with PPE, Foods, and Emergency Relief, we are capsized due to limited resources,” said Mr. Amol, Project Manager, CBFF.

Some of the project beneficiaries were fell into despair thinking of how they could live as they had no work and money. They expressed their situation to Mr. Amol. Then he was brainstorming to find out a way to ease the anxiety and distress of the poor community.

Mr. Amol along with his project staff discussed this issue and came up with a decision that they would help the community people by providing homemade masks. This would help them at least, to stay safe from COVID-19, where they are not using masks at all.

CBFF project staff selected a few beneficiaries from the community group for preparing masks who received tailoring training from the project. CBFF supplied necessary stuffs and instructed them on how to prepare the masks.

CBFF has distributed masks it has produced and soap among the distressed community people in coordination with the local authorities. CBFF has also installed a water dispenser in front of the Upazila Parishad, Fulbaria, Mymensingh so the community people can wash their hands and stay safe from COVID-19.

Besides, CBFF has distributed posters and leaflets to raise public awareness of the COVID-19. It has also organized group discussions aiming to aware of the local community from the deadly virus.