Continuing Through the Chaos of Covid-19
Continuing through the Chaos of Covid-19
2nd & 3rd Quarter Report 2020 (April – September)
The chaos caused by the global pandemic of Covid-19 has caused much unrest and uncertainty globally. Despite this, our partners on the ground have been doing an amazing job in continuing their hard work. We have put together the following summary report to highlight just some of the key projects which have taken place over the last 6 months.
Please visit our website to read more on our previous and ongoing projects. We are ever grateful to all our supporters, donors and partners on the ground; our aim of Building, Changing and Transforming lives would not be possible without you.
SAS Covid-19 Medical Aid & Food Parcel Programme 2020
According to the WHO, 821 million people are undernourished and live on less than £1 a day; that's 1 in 9 of the world's population!
This year, BCT’s SAS 2020 exceeded expectations and we contributed a total of £147,617 and provided over 4000 food parcels. Thanks to the amazing work of our partners on the ground, we were able to provide aid to the poorest and most deprived in the United Kingdom as well as in hard-to-reach areas of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Syria, Tanzania, Yemen and many more.
With Covid-19 causing devastation around the world, those living under the breadline are at a huge risk due the lack of basic amenities, including food and medical aid. BCT therefore pledged, as part of this year's SAS appeal, to provide vital medical aid to those who are suffering the most during this dangerous pandemic.
As always, we are indebted to our partners on the ground, who have continued their hard work during these troubling times.
21 Babies of Kabul - Afghanistan
The political turmoil has heightened after the devastating news of another cowardly terrorist attack in Kabul, broadcast on the 13th May 2020. 21 new born babies lost their mothers as brutal killers stormed the Maternity Wing of Darsht-e-Barchi Hospital; Dr’s, Nurses and new born babies also lost their lives in this pitiless attack.
BCT raised funds towards the aim of $21,000 for vital baby milk and food aid. With Covid-19 adding pressure to the needs of the vulnerable, every small amount will go a long way towards providing relief where possible. To donate towards this cause, visit “The 21 babies of Kabul” appeal on our website.
Blast in Beirut - Lebanon
On 4th August 2020, a blast caused an eruption of fires at the port of Beirut, killing almost 200 people and injuring 5000. As the political situation intensifies, the effects of Covid-19 have affected hundreds of those who are already living in vulnerable conditions.
BCT have contributed food aid which reached a total of 1200 beneficiaries already and plans for future support continue.
Photo credit: News.sky
Yemen Crisis
The world has forgotten Yemen.
Yemen needs our help more than ever. Yemen is facing the worst humanitarian crisis in history and the highest Covid-19 mortality rate in the world with over 24 million people in need of assistance.
With the worldwide spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UN Refugee Agency has stated that "The Coronavirus may be the straw which breaks the camel's back in Yemen".
The past five years of intense civil conflict have not only left tens of thousands dead or injured but also destroyed half of the country’s health facilities.
Beta Charitable Trust has continued to pledged £16,000 a month for baby milk, vaccines and food parcels and the images below have been provided in a recent update from our partners on the ground.
The people of Yemen still desperately need your help!
To donate, please visit www.betacharitabletrust.org.
Water and Sanitation Projects
Our commitment to making clean water accessible for all continues. BCT has commissioned a number of wells across destitute areas of Tanzania and Kenya despite the current chaos caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our partners on the ground have been continuing their hard work and building wells to provide much needed water and sanitation facilities to those who would otherwise be unable to access clean water.
In Dar e Salaam & Arusha in Tanzania as well as in Manzini, Kenya we have commissioned a total of 15 wells this quarter of which 10 have already been completed and are already in use.
An additional 8 have just been commissioned in Arusha as well as very remote areas of Mnguveni, Kinyadu, and Kitere in Kenya, where water is also very scarce.
As Covid-19 continues to spread, these already remote villages are forced to restrict themselves even further and access to clean safe water has become even more of a burden.
A further 27 wells are available in Kenya at $1,600 each. To sponsor or contribute towards the building of a well, please kindly email admin@betacharitabletrust.org. If you would like the well to be in loving memory of someone, please kindly ensure you include this in your email so we are able to organise a relevant plaque with our partners on the ground.
Eye Camps
As Covid-19 has spread across the world, those already living in rural areas and marginalised from receiving medical aid are at greater risk than ever. Despite this, our partners on the ground have been continuing their efforts and providing cataract surgeries where possible. Whilst there have been a pause in camps for some partners, others have been able to continue with safe distancing and restrictions in place.
0ver surgeries have been carried out between April – September in remote areas of Arusha, Morogoro, Temeke in Tanzania.
We are very grateful to our partners on the ground who have pushed through the uncertainty and continued their hard work by restoring sight and giving hope for a brighter future. Their work during these dangerous times is hugely significant.
Keep The Girls In School Campaign
According to UNESCO, 1 in every 10 girls in Africa will miss school every month because of their periods, and girls from poor families in Kenya miss 20% of the school year due to the lack of access to sanitary products.
BCT are supporting the production & distribution of 1000 reusable and environmentally friendly sanitary kits as well as 30,000 reusable masks. Our partners on the ground have recently set up a tailoring unit which will allow for this upscale production. Training is also being provided to girls on the usage of the kits, as well as educating them on reproductive health.
So far, 19,692 masks have been produced and distributed to the poorest and most vulnerable. As schools reopen, the educating and distribution of Sanitary Kits is due to recommence.
The Sanitary kits cost £12 each and are sustainable, lasting approximately 3-4 years per kit and the masks are cost just 23p each. To donate towards this essential cause, visit our website betacharitabletrust.org
Housing for the elderly
2020 statistics suggest there are approximately 150 million people worldwide are homeless.
The worst affected are the elderly who are commonly neglected by their children who move to towns looking for work and leaving them in remote villages.
BCT’s SAS20 campaign over the summer highlighted this very desperate situation as our partners witnessed first-hand the living conditions of elderly, widows and orphans in Chakama.
BCT in partnership with CHEPs are seeking to provide decent, low cost housing for these destitute families. Beginning with the construction of 10 houses, each will be furnished with a bed, solar lighting, beddings, curtains and a rug to ensure that the elderly and widows live in a more comfortable and dignified home. Toilets will also be constructed within each home.
The beneficiaries, along with their dependants will receive Health Insurance to provide further support for any ongoing illnesses which they are currently unable to access healthcare for. Additionally, they will receive monthly food ration packs for 6 months within which time a more sustainable solution will overtake to ensure they are left self-sufficient.
A package cost including the furnished housing, toilet facility and the beneficiary’s health insurance, is approximately $3,000.
To donate towards this project, please visit our website.
A few fun fundraisers
It gives us great pleasure to share with you three of our most recent BCT Fundraisers. Our friends, Farwa Jeddy, Nayla Panjwani and Alia Valji each decided to venture out & raise money for our Yemen Crisis Appeal.
Farwa raised money by pledging freshly baked cookies with each donation, and running 5K if she reached her initial target of £1,000. Within just a few days she surpassed this and joined arms with her cousin in the states to spread the cookies far and wide. They have raised a total of £1,500!
Nayla, through her baking business (@Dottys_Delights) created a menu of yummy treats and pledged 100% of her profits to the BCT appeal. This plus an auction of a delicious three tiered chocolate cake brought her total to £757!!
Alia set up a fundraiser whereby her children (Rayhaan, Abbas & Zahraa) challenged themselves to pick up litter from their local beach for 14 days to raise money for the children of Yemen. They surpassed their initial target of £840 and raised a total of £1,365.
The grand total of all three fundraisers combined comes to an amazing £3,622!! Every penny has already reached its destination of Medical Aid in Yemen. Thank you to Farwa, Nayla, Alia, Rayhaan, Abbas & Zahraa for their amazing efforts.
A special thanks to our partners on the ground in Yemen, who have continued their efforts throughout these troubling times, ensuring that the food parcels, medical aid, baby milk & vaccines are reaching the destitute who are in even more need of our support during the pandemic.
UK Projects
Charity begins at home and BCT is passionate about supporting the needy through UK based homeless charities, food banks, cancer and palliative care as well as organisations supporting vulnerable children and youth with learning disabilities.
Over the last few months, in line with our Striving Against Starvation 2020 appeal, BCT supported a number of UK based organisations including our friends at Sufra and Hand on Heart where they continued to provide vital food aid to those in desperate need.
As schools opened their doors to students in early September, children returned both nervous and excited. For some anxious parents, the return to school meant further expenses which they simply could not afford. Working with One Vision schools across Hertfordshire, Hand on Heart helped alleviate this added pressure by providing a total of 650 School Back Packs across 10 schools to children from vulnerable families.
Hand on Heart have been working extremely hard to support the homeless during this Pandemic. A total of 450 essential packs have been distributed for the homeless in and around central London this summer. The work being done by them is phenomenal and greatly needed.
Keep an eye out on our social media for update on the upcoming winter warmer distributions.
For more information on all of our projects, please visit our website; www.betacharitabletrust.org
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