Coronavirus. COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2. Whatever name you go by everywhere you go in the world people know what you are talking about. This is probably one of the few times in history that one word is so easily recognized in every language and people group. While the COVID-19 itself is concerning, the effects reach very deep in every life.
While we have struggled through the last year, the struggle is not over. Cases are surging in many countries. In India the situation is dire, the lack of adequate health care, the low rates of vaccinations and new strains of COVID-19 has caused an already desperate situation to become even more dire. New lockdowns are causing the poor to suffer even more.
In South Africa, the lack of adequate health care, the rise in cases, basic living conditions and new variants are affecting the poor. Zimbabwe has even released prisoners trying to curb cases. They are also dealing with an influx of migrant workers returning to their country; teen pregnancy and food shortage are also on the rise.
Many people have lost their jobs and live in poverty. Children struggle to find a way to continue their schooling. Parents struggle to balance the need for work in order to feed their family and their need to take care of their children. Travel is nearly impossible. Various organizations continually rethink how they can reach those around them.
As everyone adapts to the needs around them that are so great, we at Streams of Mercy started the Coronavirus Relief Fund. Through your generous donations, we have raised over $40,000 for this fund so far! These donations help those in desperate situations in the midst of this worldwide pandemic.
The Coronavirus Emergency Relief Fund
The Coronavirus Relief Fund provides food and necessities to people in these desperate situations. Your donations give hope for the future. No longer starving, these vulnerable people can hope for a time where they are able to work once more.
Here are some of the ways this relief fund has made an impact!
Asia
The Refugee Care Team -
Refugees
Central Asia
Even in normal times, the life of a refugee is hard. They do not speak the language, and can’t easily find housing. Finding work is nearly impossible. Under lockdowns, refugees struggle in even greater ways.
The Refugee Care Team reaches out to refugees who are left without work, without money to pay rent and without food and necessities. They provide the practical needs of food/clothing for the refugees and rent payments while refugees are unable to work.
Little Stars Children's Home -
Orphans and Poor
Myanmar
The Little Stars Children’s Home is providing for more than 30 orphans, they are also reaching into the community. They have provided more than 300 food packets for the poor. Despite being in a challenging political climate, they continue to raise their children in hiding, in order to protect them.
India
In India, many of the poor are “Day Laborers”. This means they work and get paid the same day. Many survive on less than $1 a day. If they do not find work each day, they have no money to buy food for their family. They have no savings or the option to work from home. This leaves their families vulnerable and desperate. In India, many restrictions are still in place. This means for more than a year these day laborers have had little means to feed their families.
YWAM Kancheepuram –
Migrant Workers
Chennai, India
Migrant workers relocate from their villages to the city in order to find work and survive. When lockdown restrictions were put in place, migrant workers were forced to return to their villages. Work suddenly was unavailable, they had nothing left in the villages they were from. With no means to find work, these migrant workers and their families are starving.
YWAM Kancheepuram –
Blind Community
Chennai, India
India has an estimated 31.6 million blind people, many of whom are condemned to a life of poverty. They sell trinkets on trains for pennies each week just to survive. They are non-essential workers, who are left with no provision for their needs. YWAM Kancheepuram is reaching out to the blind communities providing food and supplies to these desperate people.
YWAM Kancheepuram –
HIV/AIDS widows and orphans
Chennai, India
HIV positive families are in desperate situations. Many are orphaned and widowed, they struggle daily to survive.
Project Rescue –
Red Light District
Pune, India
Those who work in the Red Light District are already in their situation because of desperation. When non-essential work was shut down so were the brothels. Suddenly those who worked in the Red Light District in Pune, faced no way to provide for their children.
Project Rescue -
Migrant Workers and Poor
Pune, India
“You have saved us from starvation,” 35-year-old Janyati (name changed) proclaimed when she came to pick up her monthly rations. Project rescue has provided monthly rations for over 40 migrant workers and their families, for nearly 100 victims of sex trafficking, and also special care packs for their children. $40 is all it takes to provide a ration packet for a family for one month! Aside from these care packets Project Rescue continues to make its presence known in the community by providing a thank-you lunch and ration packets for frontline volunteers and installing a sanitation station. They also provide food in juvenile correction homes for teen boys.
Bethel Outreach -
Hunger Relief Work
Northern India
The Bethel Hunger Relief Work helps day laborers in their area who survive on less than $1 a day. These people are in desperate need. They are hard workers in impossible situations. They have nowhere to go and nowhere to work. These are not just statistics – these are families who Bethel rescues through their work. Over 60 families receive regular food because of your donations!
Africa
Beautiful Gate -
Vulnerable and Poor Children
South Africa
Beautiful Gate works with vulnerable children in South Africa. They work with street children, poor children, and widows. They provide essential services to thousands of children. They give food, necessities, and educational packs to more than 700 households which reaches over 3000 people.
Covid Relief Feeding Center –
Migrant Workers and Poor Children
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe used to be the richest nation in Africa, but due to corruption and economic collapse people lost their land and struggle to survive. Many migrated illegally to neighboring South Africa. When Coronavirus hit tens of thousands had to return to Zimbabwe with nothing. They became the most destitute of the destitute.
Zimbabwe also deals with drought, even affecting personal crops. Children suffer the most. They wind up on the streets to beg for food or to steal. The COVID Relief Feeding Center provides food for over 30 children per month. This protects children from a life on the streets, or worse.
As Coronavirus rages on in our world so many people suffer in ways we can not even imagine. The need is so great. We have people on the ground, risking their own safety to help those around them.
Will you take this challenge to reach out to help those who are in such dire situations?
Donate To Help Support This Cause
Coronavirus Emergency Relief Fund
$40.00 is all it takes to feed a family for one month!
