Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.
Many of the families that we serve live in distant, rural towns far away from the hustle and bustle of central cities. Unfortunately, this means that they lack quick access to essential services such as medical care. When faced with further difficulties such as lockdowns caused by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, families face prolonged periods of isolation from food supplies, doctors, and other nessecities.
Thankfully, with the support of our sponsors and donors, our sites are able to quickly adapt in times of turmoil. Mobile medical clinics and on-the-go nutrition programs allow families to receive timely care when it matters most, while mobile businesses give families a chance to become self sufficient! This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “going mobile” photos to showcase some of these incredible initiatives taking place at our sites.
#5: Medicine on the move
At our Mercy care site in Kenya, a mobile medical clinic funded by kind Chalice donors is making a world of difference for children located in remote areas. Sr. Franclit, who works at the site, says when the mobile medical clinic came to the area, the situation was dire. With no other way to access health care, skin infections and other illnesses were going untreated. “Now, the children are very healthy, they are getting enough food, and they are getting enough medicine,” says Sr. Franclit.
#4: Truly going “mobile”
Frandley is a sponsored teen from our Haiti North. He comes from a very large family, and some of his siblings are also sponsored. “Thanks to the support, we go to school and can buy some school supplies,” Frandley says.
With some savings and a lot of hard work, Frandley started his own small business selling cell phones and SIM cards to earn extra income for his family. Even though he’s only in grade 11, he’s already planning on expanding his business soon. “I thank Chalice and my sponsors for the great opportunities they give me,” he says.
#3: Meals on wheels
Glaiza and her siblings live with their mom near our Samar sponsor site in the Philippines. Their father had traveled to Manila to find work in the few months before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and unfortunately lost his job in the lockdown. Without his income, Glaiza’s mom set to work cooking local treats to sell to her neighbours.
Thanks to lots of hard work and funds sent by Glaiza’s sponsor, the family was getting by. But before the closures, the children were accustomed to receiving daily meals at school, supported through Chalice’s nutrition fund. The quality of food from the meal program would be impossible to achieve on each family’s home budget. Fortunately, our Samar site mobilized and devised a way to deliver meals to families safely. Now, Glaiza and her siblings enjoy food every weekday in the comfort of their home!
#2: Versatile Vijay
When the Indian government imposed strict COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, it heavily impacted the communities we serve. Vijay and his wife, Hema, from our site in Goa, India have two daughters, Payal and Trisha. When the pandemic hit, Vijay lost his job working in a restaurant due to the lockdown.
The family survived on Trisha’s sponsorship funds for the first two months, who receives support due to her disability. When restrictions eased, Hema found work as a maid while Payal cared for Trisha. Even still, the family’s income was not enough. Hema approached the Goa site staff requesting to start a food vending business.
Now, Vijay runs his own mobile restaurant in the market, serving popular hot dinners including spiced chicken, eggs, and vegetables. He can now provide for his family’s needs. He is deeply grateful to his daughter’s sponsor whose incredible support helped them weather the lockdown, and to the Chalice supporters who made his new business a reality.
#1: House calls
There are health workers who work as a mobile unit in the villages around our Pochaiv site in Ukraine. Their mission is to provide first aid and treatment to residents without the need for a long trip into the city, and to provide early diagnosis and treatment of illness to the rural residents. “This will raise general level of health,” says our site staff. We’re so thankful for diligent and kind healthcare workers like them!
Follow Chalice on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates from our sponsor sites, impact stories, and more! Be sure to check back next week for another Photo Friday.