6 challenges families in developing countries face in staying safe from coronavirus 

Drought. Distance. Contaminated water sources. These are all challenges millions of families must cope with in the communities we serve. Handwashing is a highly effective way to protect yourself from coronavirus — but when the rains have not come, the water is too far away or the water sources are not clean, families cannot exercise handwashing as a critical first line of defense against the spread of disease. 

Around the world, you provide rainwater cisterns, wells, sanitation systems and Personal Care Kits for families to practice good hygiene and stay healthy.

DONATE NOW

Even in the United States, misinformation about the coronavirus is rampant. Thankfully, we have infectious disease experts, along with systems of doctors and public health officials, working tirelessly to update us with new and accurate information on the symptoms of the coronavirus and what to do to stay safe. But the same is not true in poor communities in Honduras or Indonesia, for example. There, families don’t have access to reliable information, if they have any at all, about this virus and how to protect their families.

You help us activate our trusted partners on the ground — both on foot and leveraging communication platforms that are normally used to spread the word about coffee farming practices or child nutrition — to get out into the communities and give your neighbors the information they need to stay healthy.

DONATE NOW

Some families live in tight quarters in refugee camps, where 6 feet of social distancing is physically impossible. Others simply can’t feed their families unless they ride a crowded bus to work or sell their wares in a busy market. If they can’t work, their children can’t eat.

You are providing face masks, soap, hand sanitizer and Personal Care Kits to help families maintain hygiene and create a barrier against contagious droplets. In regions where businesses have closed and work has slowed, you are feeding families through emergency food distribution.

DONATE NOW

In remote regions, a trip to the health center may require a long and arduous journey. Even if you can make such a trip, there’s very little chance you’ll be tested — testing supplies, not to mention the capacity for processing the tests, are far below demand. Testing is a crucial part of combatting coronavirus so that families can take appropriate measures to quarantine to protect their households and communities. But if there is nowhere to be tested, efforts to conduct contact tracing are diminished, and the virus will continue to spread unchecked.

You help us equip our grassroots Christian Health Association partners with the critical information, resources and protective equipment they need to treat patients with symptoms of COVID-19.

DONATE NOW

In the poorest communities in the developing world, health centers already lack adequate resources to meet the health needs in their communities. Malaria, tuberculosis and complications from childbirth, among many other conditions, already claim far too many lives. Once COVID-19 descends and puts additional strain on these health centers, many people will die from other causes because there’s not enough capacity or supplies to treat them. Just because they are poor.

Your generosity reaches deep into communities affected by poverty, providing the tools families need to be healthy and lift themselves out of poverty. From medical care to agricultural training, you are reaching out to your neighbors to help improve quality of life, thereby helping to protect families from future risks.

DONATE NOW