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Everybody is about hand washing, many of us are not aware about ability of poor and extreme poor to procure soaps, suggesting to stay at home but not thinking on how the people will manage daily living those need to work every day to earn. We are not considering contamination of pond water rather putting emphasis on distribution of mask, talking social transmission of deadly virus, how many people affected, how many died but not sharing the information of treatment. We are expecting too much from the government, forgetting the responsibility of private health service providers.
In this situation, BNPS formed a central level committee involving senior management team headed by the Executive Director to analyse the situation and take lead to work hand in hand with the field offices, local government offices, NGOs, networks and the social leaders.
BNPS has been working with its networks, program stakeholders (at village and urban slum level) volunteers and partner NGOs in its working districts to educate villagers. The volunteers are promoting government messages on preventive measures of Corona virus.
The organisation believes, one to one communication is more effective in the societies where literacy rate and awareness level is low. BNPS also motivates returnee migrants to be at homes for 14 days. In addition BNPS encouraging village and slum level group members to get access to government resources so that there is available support services for them.
BNPS also working with the local government on the following specific issues:
- Distributing leaflets those are developed by the government health department.
- As so many villagers and slum dwellers cannot read the leaflets and the information to the women reach late so that using loud speaker to announce the preventive measures.
- Promoting message on social distancing.
- Promoting awareness not to take bath themselves and bring their cattle’s for bathing at the pond and river to protect water from contamination. Rather people can take water from those places using jar for household works and bathing,
- The organisation has been distributing soap, mask and food items among the poor and extreme poor prioritizing women headed poor household, extreme poor, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities.
- Volunteers have been raising awareness among the returnee migrant workers to stay at home for fourteen days quarantine. If someone does not follow the suggestion they inform the locally elected representatives to get their assistance.
- BNPS is working with the school teachers to aware the people about importance of maintaining personal hygiene and maintaining social distance.
- BNPS youth groups are engaged with relief distribution awareness raising and liaising with the local government.
In addition, BNPS team collecting information from national and international mass media about COVID 19, its nature, how it spreads and suggestions of the experts and sharing with own staff, partner NGOs, Networks, ADAB and encouraging ADAB to share the massages with its member organisations. This is helpful to know the reality of the COVID 19 rather working based on unclear information or on rumor.
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