Covid-19 Relief Project 2020

PROJECT BRIEF

Background

Since the beginning of 2020, the spread of Covid-19 has impacted the lives of millions of people worldwide. While Singapore has its fair share of Covid-19 infections, overall, what most Singaporeans suffer are mere inconveniences as a result of restrictions in our daily lives. In comparison, for many marginalized communities, particularly in the less developed countries, Covid-19 has led to loss of livelihood, hunger and tremendous hardships. 

In line with its humanitarian mission, FFM, together with various partner organisations, has provided support in the form of food and daily necessities for those most vulnerable and badly affected by the pandemic.

  • Singapore – Support Kampung Senang food relief
  • Sri Lanka – Partner with Karuna Trust for food and medicine relief
  • India – Partner with Nagaloka team of Nagarjuna Training Institute for food relief
  • Bangladesh – Partner with Bangladesh Marma Student Council for food relief

Singapore

Kampung Senang is an eco-conscious charity with Institution of Public Character (IPC) status serving all people regardless of cultural or religious backgrounds. Firefly Mission donated S$2,000 to support Kampung Senang’s packed festive gift pack. In coordination with MOM, the festive gift packs are distributed to various worksite and dormitories.

Sri Lanka

Covid 19 has left many families who depend on daily wageworkers struggling to feed their families because of a loss of livelihood. Although the government has promised to provide assistance, it has yet to reach many badly affected communities. The most vulnerable and weak such as the poor, children, women, elderly and sickly are those the hardest hit. It is feared that without help, many will die, not from the virus, but from hunger!

FFM’s donation of S$10,000 to Karuna Trust (KT), (a voluntary organization dedicated for improving the living standards of materially poor people in rural Sri Lanka), FFM contributes to food and medicine support for the most needy during this crisis.

Over the past few weeks, KT have brought comfort and alleviate worries of food shortages for many poor families in Matale, Thawalama and Trincomale.  In the

Matale district, KT distributed 2-weeks consumptions of food items to total 8 orphanages, 2 monastic colleges, 15 temples and 8 churches.  In Thawalama  district, dry ration parcels were handed to 100  families. In Trincomale, 300 dry ration parcels were distributed. In Ramboda and Deramana in Kothmale Divisional Secretariat Division, dry ration was given to150 daily-waged workers who have lost their livelihood.

In addition, there are many requests for medicine from the elderly people who have no way of buying their medicine because their children had lost their daily earnings. KT also distributed medicine to some of these selected elderly patients in elders’ homes.

 

India

In India, the extended curfew imposed in India since 24 March, left many poor families without livelihood, support as all economic activities grind to a halt. Among the hardest hit are the Dalits, one of the poorest outcast community in the country.

Through its donation of S$10000 to the Covid Relief Fund of the Nagaloka team at the Nagarjuna Training Institute, (an organization dedicated to uplifting the lives of the Dalits (outcast) community in India), FFM was able to provide food and other relief items to many impoverished Dalit families in Bodhagaya and Rajasthan

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, FFM works through BABWO’s Bangladesh Marma Student Council (BMSC) to support urgent food relief to the most vulnerable communities who are affected by the COVID-19 lockdown in the Khagrachari Hill District.  This include 672 families in 8 sub-districts of the Khagrachari Hill Tracts. The total funding contributed by FFM is S$12,319

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Firefly Mission would like to express its deep gratitude and thanks to all the people who have made this partnership project possible:

  • Kampung Senang
  • Karuna Trust
  • Nagaloka /Nagarjuna Training Institute
  • BABWO / Bangladesh Marma Student Council
  • Sis Low Siew Kiang, Bro Marc Leow , Sis Lim Shu Yin, Bro Goh Kuan Seng coordinators for the Covid 19 projects
  • Donors & Volunteers of Firefly Mission Singapore
  • Other well-wishers and volunteers, too numerous to be named.

May we share the merits incurred herewith with our dearly departed ones, with our living relatives, friends, and all sentient beings.

May all be well, may all be happy.

May causes, conditions and resultants of this wholesome events, lead us to good health and wisdom.

May longevity, beauty, happiness and every blessing come to be.

May all our noble aspirations come to fruition in this very life.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For further information related to this report, please contact:

Firefly Mission

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/FireflyMissionSG

Website: http://www.fireflymission.org

Email: enquire@fireflymission.org

Report by:

Michelle Lee 18 May 2020

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