PWW teams in Haiti and Honduras continue essential safe hygiene education outreach to help vulnerable populations as COVID-19 spreads.
Important to note: The work being done by PWW teams, in response to this crisis, is not simply a short-term band-aid. Decisions are being carefully considered with the objective of building upon our existing hygiene education programs and materials, expanding our reach through new channels, which PWW teams will continue to use long after the threat of COVID-19 has diminished.
Honduras
The PWW team is able to slowly return to their offices this week. Honduras has established a phased return-to-work protocol, designating a percentage of staff that can return based on the region in which they live and the corresponding number of COVID-19 cases. Schools and universities will remain shut down, continuing virtual and televised classes for public and private education facilities.
Gratefully, Trojes has yet to confirm any cases, and the local government and residents are proactively working to keep it that way. The PWW team, in collaboration with local government, has completed four latrines in essential areas around Trojes.
Team member Ostilio Ramirez shared his metal work talents, designing and constructing a touch-free handwashing station (picture right; click here for video demonstration). These will be used with the emergency latrines as well as outside of the PWW office in Trojes, allowing everyone entering and exiting the locations to have a safe place to wash hands.
Periods don’t end with pandemics, and the PWW Honduras team made sure they were continuing to spread information. On Menstrual Hygiene Day, team members participated in training programs at the local health clinic and distributed handouts about safely managing menstruation. A training video about changes during puberty and a video about making reusable menstrual pads at home have been put together to share with partners, in training programs, and with community members.
According to SINAGER (Risk Management National System) in Honduras, as of June 9th, there are 6,935 people that have being diagnosed with COVID-19 and 271 deaths. There is only one confirmed case in Danli, region of El Paraiso and no confirmed cases in Trojes. Please keep the people of Honduras in your thoughts.
Haiti
In May, Haiti’s President, Jovenel Moise, announced “that an ongoing state of emergency, initially declared on Thursday, March 19, will be extended until Monday, July 20, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. All schools, places of worship, factories, seaports, and airports remain closed until further notice, though land borders are open for essential cargo exclusively. Commercial flights are also suspended, and a nationwide curfew between 20:00 and 05:00 (local time) remains in effect. All individuals entering the country will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine. Gatherings of more than 10 people are banned as a precautionary measure. It is also mandatory to wear a facemask in public. (source)
The PWW team in Haiti is continuing to work at the office, preparing materials and modifying training programs in anticipation of getting back into the field later this summer. They are also continuing to share videos as well as handwashing and mask-wearing posters with partners and other organizations.
As of today, there are 3,662 reported cases of COVID-19 and 56 reported deaths, with continued severely limited testing. Please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts.
Donations matched! Long-time supporters of PWW are continuing to match $12,500 in donations. If you feel inspired, please consider a gift of just $10, $15, or $25 to keep our teams doing this critical work. Thank you! Donate here.
NOTE: The newly released CARES Act allows for non-itemizer deductions of up to $300 for 2020 (claimed on tax forms next year) and lifts the existing 60% income cap on annual contributions for those who itemize in 2020. It also raises the annual limit for corporate donations from 10 percent to 25 percent. Please consult your tax advisor for more details.
Learn more about PWW’s COVID-19 response, including previous blogs.