SISTERS ON THE FRONTLINES
Partnering with Catholic Sisters to Fight COVID-19 Around the Globe
Nuns have a long history of standing alongside some of the most vulnerable communities during times of great need, doing the doable to protect them as fiercely as they can. Now, in this unprecedented moment, we’re helping them protect people who are already at-risk around the world, people who are already living on the brink.
““The solidarity that is here is amazing. We are connected from all over the world. For us, this is really encouraging to be here with all of you. We are not alone in this, we are united with people worldwide.” ”
With 642,000 Catholic Nuns around the world, the Sisters are in a unique position to help the most vulnerable, everywhere. But when we started talking with Sisters at the start of the pandemic, it was clear they needed help. Their communities were getting lots of conflicting messages about the virus. The Sisters were feeling afraid, anxious, alone and unsupported. And they wanted to do more to care for their communities. But many of them were social workers or educators, and they didn’t have the tools to do it.
FIGHTING COVID-19 VIRTUALLY
So we got Alight medical advisors and doctors on the case, who jumped on board and have been working with Catholic sisters through Zoom and WhatsApp, building emergency planning strategies and getting sisters any extra training they may need. In the last few weeks alone, we’ve connected with Sisters in 28 countries – including India, Zambia, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, India, Nigeria, and El Salvador – and have held Zoom training and planning sessions in 20 of them.
GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT
We’re also providing Sisters with health messaging, using WHO guidelines and developed by Alight, that they can share with their communities via WhatsApp or other platforms. This is a critical need voiced by many of the Sisters who are combating misinformation and confusion. So, even if they live in a community under total lockdown, the sisters can help keep their people safe.
MORE RESOURCES TO WOMEN WHO NEED THEM
““We are now in total lockdown, but the Sisters are still going to see the people in the streets, one by one.” ”
If Sisters need additional resources to get their communities prepared – supplies like soap or enough food to make it through a lockdown – we’re helping with that, too. From food security support for daily laborers to Sister Cynthia in Bihar, India, to masks, scrubs, and protection gear for the clinic run by Sister Ruth in Kenya, to handwashing stations, gloves, and soap to Sister Astridah’s community in Zambia, we’re asking Sisters what they need and channeling support their way.
There is so much more to be done. You can give to support the Sisters’ coronavirus prevention work here, and learn more about Alight’s global response here.
