REPORT OF ACTIVITIES FUNDACION COMUNITARIA DON DIEGO MAY 31st 2020

Dear friends and supporters,

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As our world faces the Covid-19 emergency, we are all asked to act responsibly as individuals and as a community.

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Fundacion Comunitaria Don Diego, is adapting to these circumstances.  Although we were forced to close our Community Center and stop our face to face educational activities, we have found creative ways to continue serving our community, offering alternatives to priority needs in the community during this complicated situation such as: Delivering food, economic support  and mental health services, providing support to the weak and vulnerable which often happen to be the poorest.

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During the ongoing pandemic, we are facing several constraints on our ability to carry out our work, as a result of lockdown, distancing, and quarantine measures. Despite these challenges, we have been able to work on the following components to fight the current crisis:

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Food for the neediest population

Some groups are more at risk than others for the food security impact the pandemic. The most at-risk populations in most emergency situations are those that are already struggling  poverty.  In collaboration with the group Amigos al 100 a local Non for profit organization, Fundación Comunitaria Don Diego provided food to 63 families in the rural village Don Diego. 

Fundación Don Diego have pledged more resources to help ensure that people continue to have access to the food they need for the following two months.

Building of new alliances:   Micro-credits for our community

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens lives and livelihoods, and, with that, has created immediate challenges for institutions that serve affected communities. The current situation provides opportunities to engage with other civil society organizations

Fundacion Don Diego established an emergency program to alleviate the community economy in Don Diego with Apoyo a Gente Emprendedora A.C (APOYO A.C.) , a non-for profit organization that support Mexicans bootstrap themselves out of poverty, and become financially independent for life  either to start their own businesses, or strengthen existing ones by providing management support, mentoring and interest-free loans.

So far, 5  families in Don Diego have been supported with free-interest loans to help them to overcome the following 2-3 months, many of the villagers have lost their jobs or have not sales in their businesses and therefore they will not have any income. They will begin paying back the loans in 4 months when, hopefully, this health contingency has passed. Other 5 families, with special needs, are being financially supported every week.

Gonzalo Torrecillas is an inhabitant of the Don Diego Community. Due to the pandemic, his business, a rural nursery, had to close and his business ran out of customers and therefore, without an economic income for his family

Gonzalo applied for a 5000 peso loan, and he is preparing for a return to his economic activity once the health contingency passes.

Fundacion Don Diego - APOYO A.C. Coalition plans to support 20 families in the community in the following two months.

Mental health services

Operating remotely during this pandemic

During this period, a group of Psychologists, tanatologists  and social workers are  addressing the mental health issues created by this pandemic and provide psychological assistance needed now and throughout the recovery process.

​According to diverse studies, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp have seen an increase of 50% in messaging and a doubling of video calls in certain markets during the coronavirus crisis. We decided to take advantage of the use of technology to be in contact with our recipients in these times of social isolation:  Social media groups have been created  to disseminate information on the prevention of COVID-19 contagions,  to help people in the community in case of nervous breakdowns, depression, anxiety or panic attacks. At the same time  monitoring the local spread of the virus and others organizing community  assistance. The two organizations launched an information campaign in Social media about the remote services we are offering to benefit the community at large. This program is available for more than 250 families.

 BOOKS FOR CHILDREN.

While the library of our Education Center is closed, we are donating during June paperback books to children. We expect to donate at least 250 books to continue promoting reading at home.

RETURNING TO WORK AFTER LOCKDOWN – A PROGRAMME FOR SAFE RETURN

It has been a difficult period for everyone, but we are now planning returning to work and our biggest concern is the health and wellbeing of our program´s participants, students and staff. We do not  want people back at work until  we could guarantee this.

We are preparing a plan which includes: Avoiding mass gatherings, Double down on hygiene practices, Distancing at work and educational activities, and  Protection and safety kits in the Community Center for teachers and students.

THE EXECUTIVE TEAM OF FUNDACION COMUNITARIA DON DIEGO A.C.  has analyzed  various scenarios of what will change in the “New reality”. We agreed that in any scenarios our classes and other educational activities will have to avoid crowded classrooms. Fortunately we had just built two first class outdoor pergolas ( photo bellow), well suited for healthy  open air classes, with small groups.

We are also adapting more physical spaces so that children, young people and adults have a safe and comfortable place to carry out the educational activities in our Foundation.

We are going to equip two more spaces where we will have outdoor activities, protected from wind and rain.

It has been a long  and painful process for everyone, the world has changed, but we can assure you that Fundacion Comunitaria Don Diego, will work every day to bring hope, education, economy activities to our community in order to recover our lives and those of our children and families in the most vulnerable situation.

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YOUR DONATION CAN HELP THIS COMMUNITY OVERCOME THE COVID-19 CRISIS-

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Our Foundation has received  this year some generous donations, that we are thankful for. HOWEVER we need more donations to carry on the programs described above. And also to furnish the additional classrooms , and to be prepared to enhance the education of the young people of Don Diego. Now more than ever we witness the “technological gap” of the rural communities, compared to urban schools. We plan to support students with an  increase the online classes, providing  internet, and basic devices,  and pay for prepaid phone cards.

BE PART OF IT ¡

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