Response to Covid-19
On March 19, 2020, we closed our community spaces to prioritize the health of our participants, their families, and our operational team. Many times, the operational work we do leaves us very little time for other administrative tasks, so we took advantage of the first weeks of social isolation as an opportunity to advance in the documentation of our programs and to organize our spaces, files, and archives.
We never lost contact with our participants and stayed close through phone calls with all the families. Our social networks and the mural newspapers displayed in our three spaces were key to communicate with the community. These are still active, and their purpose is to provide information about Covid-19 and offer tools that help overcome the complexities that the uncertainty of the pandemic throws on daily life.
At the beginning of quarantine, as a team, we reflected on the following question: How could we best respond to the needs that emerged in the population that we work with?
Given the strong socio-economic impacts that Malinalco faced, we took action. With all the precautions and hygiene measures, we began our emergency plan against Covid-19 through diagnostic brigades. In team brigades, we visited the community in their homes, and in this way, we were able to identify and attend to the most urgent needs. Following this investigation, we made the necessary modifications to our programs to serve the most affected families within the community.
"Participating in the brigades to support the most affected families in the community made me feel that there is a light of hope behind this pandemic."
Alfredo Rivera
Diagnosis of Covid-19 affectations in Malinalco
During the month of May, we carried out a diagnosis with 90 families in the community, to identify the main needs and effects from the health emergency.
50%
reduction in average monthly income in all families of the diagnosis. From $4,854 pesos to $2,430 pesos.
64%
of families reduced the quantity and quality of the food they eat.
26%
considers that students will not have a regular reinstatement upon returning to school.
The diagnosis reflects a vulnerability of families, which although it is pre-existing to the pandemic and responds to complex social structures, becomes particularly evident in a situation like the one we are facing. The lack of decent jobs that generate sufficient and stable income, and the guarantee of social protection in particular in terms of access to health, represent a violation of people's rights and reproduce the cycle of social exclusion.
How did we react to the diagnosis?
As a result of the information we collected during the first brigades, we were able to serve a total of 80 families through six strategic actions in response to the findings of the diagnosis.
Pantries
We collaborate with the Malinalco Community Foundation in the distribution of pantries. During April and May, we delivered 186 pantries, benefiting 800 people. The rest of the year, we provide weekly food support to the 130 people from the most vulnerable families.
Brigades
We carry out face-to-face and telephone brigades as follow-up measures for the most vulnerable families. We provided guidance on symptoms, care and measures, and produced informative material adapted to the local context, which was distributed to 2,000 families.
School supports
We provide school support for adolescents at a higher risk of dropping out due to economic impacts. We support 40 girls and boys in school regularization.
Digital classrooms
We installed digital classrooms in our spaces to allow access to education for children who could not do it from home. We allow internet access for 20 families.
Xoloplastics School
We designed and started the project: Xoloplastics School, a program that academically regularizes and provides employment training for young people in vulnerable situations through plastic recycling.
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Child Sexual Abuse
We started our strategy for the prevention, detection and care of child sexual abuse.
Thank you for helping us respond to the emergency!
