Delivering essential food items to people with disabilities in Nepal
Stories | November 25, 2021
Following a recent surge in positive Covid-19 case numbers, people in Nepal, especially people with a disability, remain in a precarious situation. Livelihoods have been lost, and peoples mental health and wellbeing has been hard hit.
To reduce risk and suffering, CBM Australia have been working with local partners to implement a short-term project supporting at-risk households, including people with disabilities and their families, with access to food and mental health and psychosocial support.
The project organised for food packages, which included items such as rice and oil, to be transported to a warehouse in preparation for distribution. However, the journey was not easy. Hills, continuous rainfall, and lots of mud made navigating the unsealed roads quite a challenge. Nonetheless, with patience, an expert driver and some smaller trucks, the food packages finally arrived at the warehouse.
In deciding who would receive the food packages, the project drew on the expertise of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to ensure that people with disabilities facing food shortages would not be left out. Recipients received information about when and how to collect their food packages, while those unable to make it to the distribution centre due to accessibility issues, were supported with food delivery to a location near to them.
To prevent the potential spread of Covid-19, all recipients were encouraged to maintain social distancing, and provided with a mask and hand sanitiser. Recipients were also encouraged to provide feedback to the project team, helping improve future activities.
While Covid-19 case numbers in Nepal may be dropping, the work is far from over. CBM Australia continues to support development projects strengthening livelihoods in the area complemented by Covid-19 specific initiatives.
https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/delivering-essential-food-items-to-people-with-disabilities-in-nepal
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