Arts
Uplifting communities behind the scenes of COVID 19
View(s):Everyone’s lives changed drastically in one week following the discovery of the first patient in Sri Lanka with COVID19. Holidays, and then curfew, was declared, and the streets were deserted. Most, if not all, went into self isolation and cut themselves off from the world. But some remained, stepping up and putting themselves at risk in order to uplift the community. This week the Mirror Magazine features a few of those individuals behind these initiatives.
Community Crisis Response Team LK
Putting themselves out there at a time where everyone is holed up inside, the community crisis response team carried out delivery of emergency rations for those unable to afford care for themselves and their families.
Within a few days, the larger community also joined in, from the general public to the girl guides associations, to even pickme drivers, who helped with everything from financial donations to packaging, purchasing, delivering and more.
The team at Community Crisis Response comprises a group of committed volunteer. To follow more of their work visit http://www.sundaytimes.lk/200329/)
Organizations looking after mental health
Quite a few organizations banded together to remind everyone that while panic over our physical health continues, it’s easy for our mental health to deteriorate fast in the light of so many changes taking place all at once.
While organisations like the Ohana Project are campaigning online, other networks have operating telephone lines for you to call if you’re in need of any assistance. Sumithrayo and Shanthi Maargam have lines that operate during the day, but the CCC foundation and the National Mental Health Line operate 24h to provide assistance and crisis support.
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/200329/
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/200329/
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/200329/
Creative Hub LK
United2Care, a project by creativehublk along with several partner organizations, aims to distribute free hand sanitizers and facemasks to those who are in need for it. Their mandate is that basic healthcare is your right, and no one should have to pay for it.
While at the moment they’re limited to distributing only one mask and sanitizer per person, they’re working on distributing as many as needed. To support this initiative visit them on
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/200329/
( Paramie Jayakody)