One year of Covid-19: 5 solutions that helped children
The coronavirus has turned our everyday lives upside down in the whole world. As collateral or hidden victims of the pandemic, disadvantaged children face additional obstacles.
In 2020, Terre des hommes has adapted all its projects to their emerging needs, supporting more than four million children and members of their communities. Discover five solutions that helped children confront Covid-19.
More than a thousand children released
Due to overcrowding and the temporary suspension of visits and recreational activities in detention centres, evacuating children or avoiding their detention has become a health and social emergency. As a result of our advocacy work with the authorities, more than thousand children from more than ten countries who were awaiting trial or in detention have benefited from alternatives to prison or accelerated release. Our social workers then supported their reintegration into their families.
Mobile handwashing stations installed in arid areas
“My mother told me that there is a disease called Coronavirus and that we have to wash our hands constantly with running water and soap. Gravit'eau has therefore greatly helped my family and me in preventing the disease,” says Shettima*, 12 years old, who lives in a camp for displaced people in Nigeria.
In Nigeria and Mali, we were quickly able to install Gravit'eau, our mobile handwashing stations. They are currently being used in camps for displaced people, in schools and in health centres.
Health and detention centre staff trained
In Guinea, we have been fighting the spread of Covid-19 by training staff in nearly 200 health and detention centres on the prevention and control of Covid-19 infections.
A functionality to identify Covid-19 symptoms
In Burkina Faso and India, a questionnaire is used to identify patients potentially infected with Covid-19 and to separate them from other patients. This new functionality has been added to our digital diagnosis aid IeDA. 1427 health centres were equipped with this tool in 2020.
Children spoke out about the pandemic
Our #CovidUnder19 initiative has mobilised more than 26,000 children worldwide. This virtual space has allowed them to express themselves on how they are experiencing the pandemic and to share their opinions on the response to be given. 38% of the children stated that they felt that they were not listened to in decisions affecting them about the Covid-19 crisis. “They [the authorities] should pay more attention to children. Some cannot afford to buy masks, which is worrying,” says a 15-year-old girl from Zambia.
*The name and image have been changed for child protection.
Photo credits: ©Tdh/J.Löb/A.Akande/S.Acharya/D.Durandière
