1. WCC Penang
Beneficiaries: Women and children
Precautionary Measures: Temporarily stopped face to face counselling sessions.
What's being done:
– WCC prepared several hotline numbers to assist women and children in crisis.
– Victims of domestic and sexual violence, and people who are in distress can directly contact their Facebook page for counselling.
– WCC's social workers provide their services from home, and people can reach out to them through various methods e.g. call, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.
– Operational hours extended to 9am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday. Anyone in need (emotional / psychological abuse or even food aid) can call or message them directly.
2. Teddy Mobile Clinic
Beneficiaries: Homeless community
Precautionary Measures: Ceased operations to prevent volunteers and patients from falling at risk of contracting the virus.
What's being done:
– Providing gloves or masks to NGO’s that need them.
– Visiting the shelter home at Alam Damai to provide basic medical care
– You can donate money or drop groceries off at their clinic, and TMC will distribute them to need families via their food bank.
– The clinic in Cheras still operates from 8am to 3pm daily, so if there are any poor families that need medical attention, they can go directly to the clinic after taking all the necessary precautions.
*Clinic's Address: Klinik Yap & Looi, 29, Jalan Kaskas 2, Taman Cheras 56100 KL
Success Story
KKM recently screened over 500 homeless people around KL. So far all the tests that have come were negative.
"There are already two transit shelter homes for the homeless in KL..one being the Pusat Transit Gelandangan Kuala Lumpur and another is Anjung Singgah. Apart from the two existing shelters, 4 community centers and multipurpose halls have been converted to temporary shelters by the local council- the Sentul Perdana and Setiawangsa community centres, Alam Damai Cheras and Tasik Ampang Hilir multipurpose halls. So for now there is no point for our mobile clinic to be on the streets," Dr. Madhusudhan said.
3. SEED Malaysia
Beneficiaries: Transgender community
Precautionary Measures: Minimal operations
What's being done:
– Provides take away lunch
– Provides dry items
– Brings community to government hospitals or clinics if there’s an emergency/urgency or help change their appointments.
– Remote staff call up their clients to check up on them, just to say hello or to see if they need any assistance.
4. All Women's Action Society (AWAM)
Beneficiaries: Women and children
Precautionary Measures: 100% Remote
What's being done:
– Online counselling services for those that want to have a face to face session
– Moved into online training, and they are adapting their training programs to fit that mould.
– Broadcasts original PSAs in at least 4 languages given that there isn't enough vernacular messaging.
"We are viewing the situation thru a gendered lens, a viewpoint that often falls thru the cracks, and trying to see how we can offer the public up to date advice based on the current situation. This has kept us very busy during the MCO period, and will no doubt continue to do so."
"Overall it has been a steep learning curve, but when you keep the end goal in mind, which is how to ensure that the women and girls in society are not marginalised during the MCO, we find that the adaption process comes naturally as we head towards our goal," the team said.
*Feature Image Credit: Teddy Mobile Clinic FB Page