And the FLOW goes ON…Flowing Rivers’ response to Covid-19 Pandemic
As a direct response to the effects of the covid-19 pandemic, Flowing Rivers has devised a 4 pronged strategic approach to ensure the safety and well-being of our benefactors and beneficiaries. This strategy was collated under consultation with the executive leadership board and a special covid-19 rapid response team consisting of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, a virologist and a journalist, to determine the best approach in ensuring minimal interruption to the services offered to our respective communities. These include;
Outreach Projects
Covid-19 has changed the way we carry out our projects. Below are a few of them;
Homeless community
Majority of our outreach projects involves the personal touch with at risk members of the society, therefore we have had to re-envisage how we deliver these. Currently we have collaborated with Glass Door (homeless charity) to feed homeless people that are being “housed” by the council in hotels, dormitories etc.
Foodbank
We are working in partnership with the Rainham foodbank to provide volunteer drivers to facilitate food drop-offs to over 1000 vulnerable families that cannot afford to buy food during this pandemic. This includes those who are necessarily shielding and those whose finances have been affected by pandemic. As part of our commitment to this service, Flowing Rivers also offers a monthly bulk shop of some staples considered “luxury items” by the local council categorisation, however, based on consultation we have identified these as quite necessary.
Isolation
Flowing Rivers has also started a telephone befriending service to isolated members of the community, supported by local agencies. This service provides a listening ear and engaging conversations to those who have been cut off from such. Our volunteers are trained to listen and if necessary, refer individuals on to the appropriate agencies. We have engaged a Clinical psychologist to provide supervision and guidance.
Mental health
We agree that the link between mental and physical health has never been underscored and spotlighted as ever before, therefore the need to guard the sanctity of a healthy mental balance. The bible states that out of the heart proceeds the things that gives life or impacts our experience, therefore as a counter-perspective to the dire negativity of the daily news briefings on the main stream media, our founder committed to a daily briefing of good news happening around the world in relation to Covid-19. Instead of focusing on the negative, he has a made a conscious choice of focussing on the part of the glass that s half full! Everyday at 3pm, you can catch “Everyday goodnews with Psam” to escape the macabre nature of the news and be inspired by epic stories of real life medical recoveries, signs of economic recoveries around the world and other good news stories as researched by the Covid-19 rapid response team.
International Missions
Our commitment to our international missions does not diminish. Our support of the Sure24 orphanage in Nakuru, Kenya, the children in South Africa and Borneo intensifies in this time. Apart from our direct work with the orphanage in Kenya, we are now supporting over 500 families with dry food supplies in the community through our representatives in Kenya and over 200 families in South Africa respectively.
Partner organisations
As an organisation, Flowing Rivers thrives on the gargantuan efforts of our volunteer army. Since the enforcement of the government guideline to stay at home unless providing necessary services to society, especially those who are vulnerable, as highlighted above, majority of our projects had to be re-purposed and new strategies of operations were engaged. To this end, many of our volunteers who had been idly waiting for the opportunity to serve again have been made available to other partner organisations who are in need of volunteers. We ensure that they are well trained and adequately protected for the level of involvement required.
Donors & partners
Our quarterly STREAMS bulletin which summarises our outreach efforts has been revitalised with a very Covid-centric focus. If you are a donor and you haven’t received an e-copy of any of our STREAMS bulletins kindly follow the link to give us your details so that we can ensure that this is rectified.
In-House membership
For our in house members, we have ensured that no-one is left behind by working closely through our group system. All vulnerable members have been supplied with food supplies and frontline workers supported by providing food packages prepared by our partner organisation, LV kitchen, to ease the burden of domestic duties during this intense time. Regular zoom calls within each group to ascertain the physical, mental, financial and spiritual health of the members.
Read the Coronavirus No Panic Help Guide
