A Legacy in Times of Need: 5 Initiatives Against the COVID-19 Outbreak
Empowered by the internet, people have banded together to exchange ideas and form collaboration in an inspiring show of determination to do what they can in fending off the onslaught of COVID-19 in their own community.
Here are some efforts and initiatives that may be useful, or even inspire you to do something similar for your community:
1. Relief fund
This crowd-funding campaign aims to raise RM50,000 to purchase protective gears for the front liners working in Sabah’s hospitals. The fundraising is done on HanafundMe, a crowdfunding platform designed for women-owned startups, businesses and non-profit.
This Singapore website for charitable giving has set up a page enabling people and organisations to easily find and contribute (including volunteerism) to charities’ efforts that address the needs of communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore.
The fund was set up following suggestions from companies and the public who wish to make voluntary donations to help the government. It is controlled by the Treasury Department and will be used for the purchasing equipment and essentials to curb the transmission of COVID-19. Donations can be made through online transfers.
2. Food and Care packages
Love Your Neighbour Penang Covid19
Worried that the 2020 Malaysia MCO would affect the poor and vulnerable, especially those depending on odd job or daily wage workers, two youths started this charitable food delivery service which quickly gained traction. Fill in their online form to begin helping.
The Society for Community Outreach & Training (SCOT) has opened up its Social Kitchen service to provide meals to the medical front liners in Brunei. People can make orders from them here.
3. Sanitiser & masks
Sharing more than just love, this donation-based initiative in Singapore distributes masks and sanitising items to those in need. If you have any extra to spare for others, visit their website to locate the nearest donor box to you.
This online platform helps Bruneian get their hands on face masks and hand sanitisers which are increasingly harder to find. It also has printable educational content on COVID-19 that can be shared.
Small business owners in Brunei are also working hand-in-hand to tackle the outbreak: They connect with the local community to help them commission homemade scrub suits, an essential gear worn by health front-liners.
4. Blood donation
The pandemic has forced everyone to stay at home and keep their distance, and unfortunately, one side-effect is the drop in blood donors.
Social distancing is not social disengagement: You can still go out of your home to perform essential businesses. And blood donation is one way of helping the healthcare.
Brunei Blood Donation Centre has taken precautions to protect donors and are calling on the public to set an appointment with them. Singapore and Malaysia are calling out for donors too. Please check out the closest blood bank to you and donate if you are fit to do so.
5. Online resources
Open Source COVID19 Medical Supplies
This Facebook community comes from around the world to “evaluate, design, validate, and source the fabrication of open source emergency medical supplies around the world”. For those thinking of setting up a local response group in their community, it also compiled best practices for a local response aimed at supporting your hospital and community.
Corporate are making their products free to use as a show of support during this pandemic. These tech and digital companies rally under the #DigitalvsCovid campaign to help out SMEs and micro-enterprises ride through this global pandemic by automation and digitalisation.
Informative Resources at SG United
Members of the community have put their creativity and communication skills to produce informative content to be made freely available. Download the content, understand them, and share them to increase the awareness and remind people around you the best practices that can keep them safe.
3D Printing Malaysia Community for COVID 19
This group shares 3D printing blueprints that print out parts which are assembled into masks and other medical equipment. The items are then distributed to those in need.
That being said, handmade masks won’t be as effective at protecting you from the coronavirus, though it certainly won’t be harmful as long as you understand its limitations. So, combine them with other safety protocols to keep yourself safe.
You can help too
Many of us are not medically trained or technically savvy, nor are we business owners. But we are part of a network of friends and relatives. What we have is the capacity to reach out to people on a personal level.
Even by just spreading the words, you might inform someone who would find it helpful to the efforts of tackling COVID-19.
Stay vigilant, and keep up the fighting spirit!
If any of our stories and information have been inaccurate or incomplete in our coverage, please get in touch with us immediately at ask@memori.io. (Full disclaimer)
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Written by:
Li En Ru — Project Lead at Memori. Content writer with 3 years of experience in copywriting and research. Formerly associate editor at Borneo Bulletin in Brunei. En Ru’s favourite food is this sticky stuff called Ambuyat.