COVID-19
Our response to the global pandemic
The global crisis that unfolded in recent months changed our ‘normal’ dramatically and shifted the systems and structures we operate in. Above all, it was a sobering reminder of the work still to be done globally in empowering and building the resilience of vulnerable communities.
At Ishk, we have seen first hand how this crisis impacts our communities and beneficiaries and we have adapted our response in the following ways:
Committed funds to COVID relief
and worked with our networks to mobilise this
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Tailored our
Pass-it-On grant
for employees of our affiliated business to carry out COVID relief initiatives in their communities
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Reshaped our processes
to address the immediate needs arising among partners and communities
Migrated learning and engagement
for Ishk Skills Hub and
Ishk Peduli Anak Indonesia to Whatsapp and Facebook
As the situation evolves, we continue to work with partners to build meaningful solutions that support the sustainable, long-term recovery of the underserved communities who have been affected by this crisis the most.
We continue to be inspired as a team by the collective resilience and kindness we have seen in the global community. The nature of the pandemic has emphasised how our individual actions can make a significant difference to the lives of others and this we believe will continue to hold true even after the crisis dies down.
Below are the organisations we have partnered with in supporting communities in need during this time. Click each box to learn more!
OUR PARTNERS
Project Ark was initiated by a group of non-profit leaders and philanthropists after Lagos first went under lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Their mission is to distribute food relief to individuals and households in vulnerable communities.
We partnered with Project Ark as part of our COVID Relief response to provide food relief to 1,200 individuals.
9ja Relief is an initiative launched by Rajasthani Samaj Nigeria. The organisation has previously supported local communities through blood donation camps, prosthetic limb projects and eye care-related activities. 9ja Relief works to provide food relief to vulnerable families whose livelihoods have been impacted by the lockdown, including artisans, widows and single mothers.
We partnered with 9ja Relief as part of our COVID Relief response to provide food relief to 1,712 individuals.
DRASA Health Trust works to promote adequate sanitation and hygiene, reduce and prevent the spread of infectious diseases and strengthen Nigeria’s health security and emergency preparedness. To achieve this, the organisation works with government, local and international partners, community leaders, students and health workers.
We partnered with DRASA as part of our COVID Relief response to train 101 healthcare workers in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC). This included practicing health professionals as well as non-clinical health facility support staff.
Since 2006, Yayasan Rumah Rachel (Rachel House) has supported and provided palliative care to children from minority groups in Indonesia living with serious and life-limiting illnesses such as cancer, HIV and AIDS.
We partnered with Yayasan Rumah Rachel as part of our COVID Relief response. The organisation distributed care packs for 3 months, including personal hygiene kits, vitamins, essential medicines and groceries, to 35 families of children in their care. Additionally, they also equipped 14 staff with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) so they can continue their home-based care for patients safely.
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Sayang Sayang Fund is a community impact fund by the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS). Since its inception, it has supported frontline healthcare workers, charities and non-profit organisations and provided emergency response funds to enable immediate and short-term relief to those adversely affected by the COVID-19 situation.
Among their initiatives, the Recess@Home program provides youth from low-income families access to the meals they can no longer receive from school due to the lockdown.
We partnered with the Sayang Sayang Fund as part of our COVID Relief response. As part of Recess@Home, 335 youth received financial assistance to cover their meals for a month.
Project Enable is a community development initiative that advocates for the rights and empowerment of individuals with disabilities in Nigeria. They train these individuals in Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills and sensitise the community on the need to reduce discrimination and stigmatisation. Project Enable wants individuals with disabilities to live a fulfilled life while contributing to the progress of their communities.
We partnered with Project Enable Africa as part of our COVID Relief response. The organisation distributed relief packs with food, personal hygiene products and fuel for 3 weeks to 1,918 individuals.
Yayasan Teman Baik (YTB) is an Indonesian-based subsidiary of Friends International in Cambodia. Their programs focus on supporting marginalised families in Jakarta such those living in slum areas, beggars, homeless people and street children. They provide social services and counseling to their beneficiaries, support youth to get appropriate jobs or set up microenterprises, and train community members as agents to prevent child abuse.
We partnered with Yayasan Teman Baik as part of our COVID Relief response. The organisation is working to provide food relief and hygiene kits for 3 months to 279 families, in addition to rent and medical cost support where needed. YTB is also distributing awareness materials to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and maintain child safety.
Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) provides emergency medical assistance to vulnerable individuals in public hospitals and communities by paying hospital admission fees for road accident victims to ensure they are attended to when they reach the hospital; training citizens to become first responders who can immediately attend to accident victims until they can access advanced care and covering basic healthcare costs for persons below the poverty level.
We partnered with Health Emergency Initiative as part of our COVID Relief response to provide PPE to 20 hospitals,
Yayasan Project Indonesia focuses on education, health and economic welfare. As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Indonesia, the organisation was among the first to coordinate the supply of affordable and high-quality Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to frontline medical professionals in health facilities across the country.
We partnered with Yayasan Project Indonesia as part of our COVID Relief response to distribute 37,000 items such as masks and hazmat suits to 59 health facilities.
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It’s Raining Raincoats is a volunteer-driven initiative that aims to improve the lives of migrant workers in Singapore and build bridges to strengthen their integration into the broader community. They do this through raising awareness about their rights, celebrating festivals, providing them with food products, recycled clothes and data cards, and fundraising for families of workers who have lost their lives.
We partnered with It’s Raining Raincoats as part of our COVID Relief response. Under their “Adopt a Dorm” concept, 900 workers in a dormitory received weekly snacks, fresh fruit, milk and masala tea for sustenance between meals during the lockdown.
The Sickle Cell Aid Foundation works to increase awareness on Sickle Cell Anemia and ensure that those living with this disorder in Nigeria have access to the quality healthcare they deserve. Since 2010, SCAF has provided free genotype testing and counseling, paired low-income patients with individual donors who fund their healthcare and welfare, organised conferences and crowdfunded for patients with complications requiring surgery, among other programs.
We partnered with the Sickle Cell Aid Foundation as part of our COVID Relief response to distribute food items and medicines for 3 weeks to 514 individuals living with Sickle Cell Anemia.
CARE is a leading international humanitarian organisation fighting poverty globally and reaching millions of people in 95 countries around the world. In Indonesia, CARE has been active since 1967 and now has extensive programs in Banten, West Java, Jakarta Special Region, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara focusing on disaster management and youth and women economic empowerment.
We partnered with Yayasan Care Peduli as part of our COVID Relief response. The organisation is working to provide an alternative source of income for 79 female garment workers who have lost their jobs by producing masks for health workers in community clinics and communities over 3 months.
South Central Community Family Service Centre provides support to low-income and vulnerable families within their community. The organisation adopts an inclusive approach that encourages community self-help and cooperation to empower these families and equip the next generation for transformative change.
We partnered with South Central Community Family Service Centre as part of our COVID Relief response to support 56 families with essential items during the lockdown.
Anchor Heritage Initiative provides free legal representation and access to justice to individuals who have been unjustly incarcerated. The organisation also runs vocational training workshops for prison inmates to improve their chances of integrating into society once they are released.
We partnered with Anchor Heritage Initiative as part of our COVID Relief response to provide hygiene items to 7,933 inmates for 3 months.
