“They have helped us like we are their family – may God bless them.” These are the words of a man who received support from the Covid-19 Collaborative Emergency Response Programme (CERP) in India. The team of volunteers supported by Viva’s partner network in Patna organised a hospital bed for him, food and medicine for …
As lockdown drags on and deepens, Youth worker Hannah Woods says we all need to create safe spaces for ourselves and our loved ones. As we started Lockdown 3.0, I was filled with so many emotions (I’m sure we all were!) Then school closures were announced. Anxiety, fear, claustrophobia – the thought of home schooling …
BY LUCY COX In Latin America many families have been hit hard by the pandemic. Viva’s partner networks are coming alongside these families to help them pursue a brighter future. Community Centres are a new initiative which have been set up by our partner networks in Costa Rica and Mexico, offering holistic support to families …
Jo Dowds looks at how Viva’s phone mentoring is helping families in Nepal reconnect again during the pandemic, thanks to the commitment of our partner network there. Here in the UK, back in the 90s, a big phone company made billions with its advertising slogan – “It’s good to talk”. The advertisers uncovered a universal …
Hannah Woods writes about how our Oxford-based partner network’s experiences of virtual youth work have gone global and led to greater collaboration than ever expected. “The impact of the pandemic on some children and young people will be far-reaching, and it will be essential that the right services are there to support them. The crisis …
2020 has been a year like no other. Viva’s Chief Executive, Mark Stavers, reflects on our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, outlines our next steps and shares our strategy for the coming five years. When I look back over the last eight months or so, my overall feeling is one of great pride in the …
Mim Friday, Viva’s Africa Director, reflects openly on more than 200 days of COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda, and describes how Viva and our partner network, CRANE, are responding in new ways to the many needs of vulnerable children in Kampala to keep more of them safe from harm. The moment one COVID-19 case was reported …
Viva’s phone mentoring programme is exceeding expectations, as it positively impacts thousands of children and families worldwide facing increasingly desperate times because of COVID-19. The initiative has been developed collaboratively by Viva’s global team over the past six months in response to the emerging realities of the pandemic. Restrictions have made it difficult for Viva’s …
BY GARY KAMAAL To support vulnerable families and children during the COVID-19 pandemic, Viva India is distributing food relief to daily wage earners and migrant workers in five cities. Those receiving relief have lost their jobs, and are fearful of the present situation and uncertain about their future. Their children’s development is being adversely affected …
BY CARMEN ALVAREZ Central America faces two pandemics: COVID-19 and hunger. We cannot speak about the impact of the pandemic on the economy without mentioning the structural problems that people face. Several issues include high levels of unemployment, increased violence towards children and women, and limited access to health, education and protection services due to …