Covid-19 Response
Covid-19 has challenged us, but AIL has always been innovative and adaptive and is responding to the challenge. We have adapted our health and education programs and taken on an expanded role of emergency food aid and personal protective equipment production. Our supported schools are reopening with social distancing and strict sanitizing procedures in place, even with this welcome development we are still hard at work providing Covid relief to the many families still suffering from its wide ranging impact.
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Research into e-learning
AIL's Research Center conducts first ever investigation of e-learning in Afghanistan. The importance of e-learning has been highlighted by this Covid-19 pandemic. The paper's findings concluded that the country lacks the necessary infrastructure and interest in engagement in this education option. The paper was presented and defended at a conference See our Research Center page. |
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Schools and centers are open!
The Yacoobi private schools and AIL Learning Centers are open with strict social distancing and sanitation procedures in place. The schools and the programs have been adapted to help ensure safety and close monitoring of the health of all staff and children is in place. The children are thrilled to be back seeing friends and being with their teachers. They worked hard during lock down to keep up with their studies following the distance learning program AIL put in place.
The Yacoobi private schools and AIL Learning Centers are open with strict social distancing and sanitation procedures in place. The schools and the programs have been adapted to help ensure safety and close monitoring of the health of all staff and children is in place. The children are thrilled to be back seeing friends and being with their teachers. They worked hard during lock down to keep up with their studies following the distance learning program AIL put in place.
Setting up a Covid-19 hospital
AIL created 50 bed Covid-19 hospital in Mir Bacha Kot with the Department of Health! see the video - Covid 19 facility video below. This community had no resources to treat patients and now has a government approved facility.
AIL created 50 bed Covid-19 hospital in Mir Bacha Kot with the Department of Health! see the video - Covid 19 facility video below. This community had no resources to treat patients and now has a government approved facility.
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Counseling
AIL staff have started providing counseling to stressed families who are having disputes in the home because of being cooped up together all day, often with no work to go to or social interaction. There is a rise in both violence against women and children caused by the situation and people need help with how to cope. Radio Meraj is also broadcasting information on ways to deal with isolation and the stress of the health and economic crisis. Health Clinics Our health clinics are open, while some organizations have closed their clinics. We have many more patients than usual and staff are sometimes working double shifts to cope with the demand for services. Covid-19 patients are referred to government hospitals while other patients are treated by AIL. We are providing disinfection kits to families - a one month kit includes: soap, tissues, disinfecting gel, 50 pairs of gloves, alcohol, 50 face masks, disinfecting liquid. Health Education Staff printed out leaflets about the virus and these are handed out to patients and distributed to offices, centers and government buildings. Virus information is also being broadcast by Radio Meraj every hour, so 18 times per day. The clinics regular health education sessions include the virus symptoms and how to protect yourself. The health clinics need soap, sanitizer, gloves, face masks and other supplies to treat patients. Emergency Food Aid Many poor families are day laborers and need to work to buy food for that day. Work is scare and food prices have risen, making daily life even more difficult. AIL staff have prepared and distributed hot meals to thousands of people and are also distributing food packs for families. Personal Protective Equipment Production AIL has turned over its tailoring classrooms to the production of PPE including, face masks, face shields and gowns for clinic staff. The classrooms are well equipped to quickly move over to this production with the use of sewing machines, irons, sewing tables and some thread and cloth available. Donating supplies AIL has donated one million Afs worth of health supplies to the Herat government’s virus response effort. The supplies included: masks, gloves, bottles of alcohol, azithromycin tablets, hand sanitizer gel and soap. Distance Education Program Teachers at our Learning Centers and the schools we support provided education packs for students. They were available to help students via email, telephone or by socially distant meetings. Distance learning was highly effective in helping children not miss out on learning and lose the motivation to continue their education. |
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