Responding to COVID-19 in Indonesia
Stories | June 9, 2020
Responding to COVID-19 in Indonesia
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic one way in which CBM has been working in Indonesia is to build initiatives that will assist people who might otherwise struggle during this time. One of these initiatives was through a partnership with a social crowdfunding platform. One of the campaigns on this platform was designed to provide food packages and assistance for informal workers impacted by the social distancing procedures put in place for public safety. Each food packages contains one hundred thousand rupiahs of rice, cooking oil, sugar and biscuits. The food packages benefit workers who provide services such as temporary teachers, transport workers, public transportation drivers and trucks, online motorcycle taxi, food / beverage outlets, hawkers, street vendors, janitors, parking attendants, couriers between goods are just some of the people who can find themselves at risk. For many of these workers, Ramadan and Eid celebrations are busy times, and the loss of this income during this time with social distancing and lock downs will have long-term implications for them.
BenihBaik.com first approached CBM in the beginning of April to see if a collaborative opportunity was possible in order to provide some assistance to people living with disabilities and who engage in informal work in the Jakarta area. CBM’s Indonesia country office has been able to operate as a hub between the various Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) networks and partners and BenihBaik.com. Through this role as a hub, CBM was able to mobilise its resources and compiled a list of more than 3,000 people who might be in need of assistance and half of them are people living with disabilities.
In times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic it is important that we can all pull together to protect those most vulnerable. In this case, CBM was well positioned to serve as the logistical hub between these various groups and draw upon our extensive network to ensure that this assistance can reach as many beneficiaries as possible, and ensure that in these times, no one is left behind.
Pledge to stand in solidarity with all our neighbours, and encourage our government to provide vital support to vulnerable nations by signing the End COVID For All pledge here.
Click here to donate to CBM’s COVID-19 Crisis Appeal today.
https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/responding-to-covid-19-in-indonesia
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