July 2, 2020
Across the globe, we have seen the incredible courage and bravery of medical professionals, as they have stood on the frontline of work to halt the spread of coronavirus. All We Can, together with the Methodist Church in Britain, have been helping support the work of Eglise Methodiste d’ Haiti (the Methodist Church in Haiti) in equipping medical clinics, and the staff who work there, to combat the virus.
Thankfully, Haiti – a country which has faced civil unrest and a devastating earthquake during the last decade – has seen official numbers of positive cases and deaths remain low, at 3,941 and 64 respectively. The country is currently operating under a partial lockdown – but cramped and crowded living conditions in parts of the country, and stigmatization towards those affected by the virus have posed real threats to combatting the pandemic.
Eglise Methodiste d’ Haiti operates a number of clinics in Methodist Circuits across Haiti – vital resources in helping local communities prepare for and prevent the spread of coronavirus. In fact, in many of the communities where these clinics operate, they are often the only medical care available to local people. All We Can and the Methodist Church in Britain have supported the training of medical staff in these clinics, as well as the distribution of sanitary kits (which included buckets for clean water, laundry detergent, bleach, hand sanitizer, face masks) and training on how to use them for medical staff. Volunteers have also been trained in good hygiene practices, with the aim of taking these messages back to their own local villages to help spread the word ever further.
In addition, essential medicines have been procured to stock five of Eglise Methodiste d’Haiti’s clinics. Personal Protective Equipment has also been distributed to volunteers, staff and trainers, and dry food rations distributed to patients.
This multifaceted response has benefitted more than 3,600 medical staff, volunteers, patients and their families – and has also helped practically demonstrate the love of support of the church during this tumultuous period.
All We Can, together with the Global Relationships team in the Methodist Church, are helping deliver vital support to communities facing this pandemic across the globe – forming a truly global Methodist response. You can keep up-to-date with news from the global Church and continue to pray for mission partners around the world. You can also continue to support All We Can and the Methodist Church’s Joint Coronavirus Emergency Appeal at allwecan.org.uk/coronavirus.
