Carrick charity continues life-saving work amid coronavirus outbreak

A Carrick-based charity is continuing its work delivering life-saving food parcels to the poorest communities worldwide amid the coronavirus crisis.
Carrickfergus-based charity Stand by Me is continuing its vital work.Carrickfergus-based charity Stand by Me is continuing its vital work.
Carrickfergus-based charity Stand by Me is continuing its vital work.

Stand by Me, based in West Street in the town, has responded to help children and families in their care who live in countries that are poorly equipped to deal with the outbreak.

With little access to water, soap, sanitiser and having no purchasing power to buy enough food or self isolate, these vulnerable children and their families are at serious risk.

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"The coronavirus has now reached rural parts of Ethiopia and Colombia where, combined, Stand by Me supports over 1,250 children and their families," said the charity.

Some of the children from one of the charity's schools in Ethiopia who received a food parcel within the last week.Some of the children from one of the charity's schools in Ethiopia who received a food parcel within the last week.
Some of the children from one of the charity's schools in Ethiopia who received a food parcel within the last week.

"The authorities have closed all schools in an attempt to minimise contagion and encourage self isolation. Whilst these precautions are welcomed, the children cannot afford to miss out on their lifeline of daily meals received at school. With their families too poor to provide adequate food at home, malnourishment and even starvation are a very real danger."

Thanks to the small team based in Carrickfergus, Stand by Me responded to the crisis, sending money to Ethiopia and Colombia for their staff to buy supplies and give out food parcels to every family in their care.

Each parcel will provide a family with essential food and soap to keep them nourished and healthy for a month, while enabling them to remain isolated.

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Last week, Stand by Me was "astounded" by the generosity of their supporters after the launch of an urgent food appeal. "This support is an amazing encouragement to the brave local staff who have worked tirelessly to purchase and distribute food parcels safely," the charity added.

Encouraged by the response of the appeal and their staff’s motivation to ensure that no child goes hungry, Stand by Me has committed to provide food parcels for the next six months.

So far in Colombia and Ethiopia, Stand by Me has provided over 750 food parcels and hope to reach more families in the coming weeks.

For more information, see www.standby.me/foodparcels

Mohammed’s story

This support is helping children like Mohammed and his siblings (Firaol and DoIe) who live alone in Bekoji, Ethiopia.

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Sadly by the age of 12, Mohammed had lost both of his parents and since then Stand by Me has been supporting him and his siblings through the 'Keeping Families Together' programme which gives them food and an allowance to pay rent.

Mohammed is in Year 8 at the Bethany Bekoji School and he dreams of one day becoming an engineer.

Mohammed came to the Stand by Me school office recently to report his difficult situation. He told the staff, “We are very sad for the closing of school; we are worried of not getting food for we have no family to look after us. We all are hungry; please do something for us to stay alive.”

The urgent food appeal is meeting a need that no one could have envisaged more than a few months ago and yet today Stand by Me is able to provide a food parcel to children just like Mohammed to ensure that they have food, soap and charcoal to help them to self-isolate during this current crisis.

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