HEADLINE: PHNOM PENH, Cambodia- Helping Phnom Penh’s needy during lockdown – The COVD Help story
In this extraordinary period of lockdown in Phnom Penh, many of us have grumbled about the inconvenience to our daily lives.
But for the vulnerable and poor in Phnom Penh, lockdown has brought not just inconvenience, but real suffering as they struggle to find the basic staples of life. A group calling itself COVD Help has stepped up to organise the purchase and distribution of food and hygiene kits for needy people in Phnom Penh. We spoke to the initiator of the project, Clare, a 33-year-old woman originally from France, about what they are doing and how you can help.
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Q: Can you tell us how the project started?
A: Since March 25, we have been distributing food and hygiene kits in our local neighbourhood of BKK3. We have been targeting people who have lost their livelihoods due to the outbreak, like tuk-tuk drivers and cyclo drivers.
Since then, we have tried to expand our project to cover more vulnerable people in other districts such as trash collectors and people who live on the street.
Q: What is in your food and hygiene kits?
A: Each kit cost $8 and has basic items to last one family for a week:
4 kgs of rice ($2.50)
7 packs of noodles ($1.13)
5 cans of fish ($1.55)
1 toothbrush and 1 toothpaste tube ($1.55)
1 soap bar ($0.30)
Q: How has lockdown affected your operations?
A: We are not an NGO; we are just a group of individuals who were initially unable to get past the lockdown restrictions. However, we are now working with IDEA, which is an NGO dedicated to helping those who work in the informal economy.
In partnership with them, we have been able to continue to distribute the food and hygiene kits and, for instance, yesterday we managed to distribute around 250 of the kits to those who need them.
We hope to send out another 500 kits tomorrow.
Q: How can people help?
A: We have an ABA account that people can directly donate to: ABA account number: 002 379 039
You can also find more details of what we are doing at our Facebook page here – https://www.facebook.com/covdhelp
COVD Help describes their mission as: “Harnessing the positive potential of social networking in locked down pandemic conditions in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to support those in most need with basic food and hygiene materials, locals and expats together working to support people in the greatest need.”
The need is present right now and we have no time to waste.
In these extraordinary days, perhaps its a good time to look at ourselves and think about what we can do to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
Clare and her team have done just that and fully deserve your support.
.Khmer Times
