This year, we mark the International Day of Families amidst global health and social crisis. The Coronavirus pandemic continues to impact life in countries across the world, affecting us all and most especially increasing the risk to vulnerable children on an enormous scale.

Right now, keeping children safe and in loving families remains our number one priority. Our social workers and community volunteers are on the frontline working with vulnerable families to work through the economic impact the pandemic has caused

Our response to the Coronavirus pandemic is prioritising the most vulnerable families and ensuring that are provided with much-needed food and health supplies to support their children during this difficult time.

These efforts make sure that children and families continue to stay together. One of these families is Fatuma’s family. As a single mother of two girls; a two-year-old daughter and a four-month-old baby girl, it has been difficult for Fatuma to feed her young family, as she doesn’t currently have any income.

In February, just before the Coronavirus pandemic, Child’s i was working with Fatuma to support her with a small grant to help her start a small restaurant business to support her family. However, due to the countrywide lockdown, the plans were put on hold since it would have been difficult for her to start any kind of business.

Because of your generous support, Fatuma and her two girls Sharon and Michelle have been supported with food supplies, charcoal and a down payment of five months of rent to help her take care of her family through this difficult time.

One of our community volunteer who lives near Fatuma was able to visit and deliver the food. “For me, seeing the joy, the smiles and the excitement on the children and families faces when they receive food supplies just makes me happy, it is a rewarding experience,” said Angela, one of our dedicated community volunteers, as she delivered the food supplies to Fatuma.

Angela is one of our hundreds of trusted and trained community volunteers who are on the frontline supporting their communities through this pandemic. So far 266 children in 97 families have received food and health supplies to ensure that they are safe and well since the pandemic broke out while 815 children and 433 families were followed up through remote monitoring in the form of direct phone calls or through the community volunteers and local council leaders who continue to visit those in their communities.

Today, as we celebrate International Day of Families, we believe that now more than ever, every child needs a loving family. Join us in supporting families to remain strong. Help us continue to support children and families by giving to our Coronavirus Emergency Appeal.

Image: Fatuma receiving her packages of food from Angela, our community volunteers