13-07-2020 | di COOPI

Covid-19. In Chad our activities do not stop

In the framework of the project “Support for the protection of children affected by the crisis in Lake Chad” funded by the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation (AICS), COOPI carried several activities focusing on vulnerable communities (especially women and children, which represent 73% of the population residing in rural areas) affected by Covid-19 emergency.

Despite the preventive measures adopted by the government, such as the block of movements and the ban on meetings, our activities did not stop. On the other hand, as Flavio Boffi, COOPI project manager, explains, COOPI adapted its interventions depending on people’s needs.

Kit distribution

In particular, COOPI held all trainings and awareness sessions (already planned) online, when applicable, or it rescheduled and divided sessions in different days so to respect the directives released by the Government.

COOPI kept guaranteeing the implementation of the projects’ main activities such as children’s identification and family reunification for those children who are alone or unaccompanied; the identification of temporary host families; the search for families of origin; the reintegration of separated children into their families and the support for women victims of gender-based violence (GBV).  COOPI staff worked hard to assign the victims of GBV to health centres or hospitals, taking charge of the necessary expenses and providing psychological support.

Children integration in a temporary host family

Besides, COOPI started the rehabilitation of 5 recreational spaces for children (Espaces Amis des Enfants). All spaces will allow children affected by trauma to develop their resilience and to reactivate their creativity, thanks to the implementation of recreational activities, psychosocial support and counselling.

Finally, thanks to the partnership with APSELPA Action pour la Protection de la Santé, de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre la Pénurie Alimentaire), COOPI kept training the temporary host families on issues such as children’s rights and the role of host families. Up to today, COOPI distributed kits including food, clothes and other supplies to the 120 members of host families so to guarantee hosted children support.

Kit distribution

In Chad, COOPI has been working in the latest 25 years, supporting communities affected by conflicts and keeping a focus on development interventions and humanitarian assistance. Since 2015, COOPI is acting in the region of the Lake Tchad addressing refugees, displaced people and autochthonous population. Together with AICS, COOPI promotes education in emergency, protection of those children hit by the crisis and offers psychological support to those who suffer from post trauma stress.