The Social Development and Services Unit (SDSU) of the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) conducted a COVID-19 Support Project from November 2021 through to January 2022. This was with the partnership of GMP through International Church Partnerships (ICP). The GMP COVID-19 Ministry Appeal was established in April 2021 and raised over $155,000 to assist partners internationally and in Australia.
The SDSU was one partner that benefited from the funds raised.
The SDSU coordinated their COVID-19 Support Project in Thailand closely with local church and community volunteers as well as community public health officials. Thanks to your support of the appeal, the SDSU was able to provide essential supplies to 7,287 vulnerable people in severe need.
The SDSU has expansive experience in social work, advocating and campaigning
and in community education. Experience which enabled them to provide essential assistance to 1,250 families across several church community districts and to provide it speedily, appropriately, and effectively.
SDSU intentionally linked with the local church community to distribute survival bags containing items such as rice, vegetable oil, canned fish, salt, seasoning powder, and mama noodles.
The SDSU also distributed milk for children, sanitary products, face masks and sanitiser. They distributed the survival bags to around 82 communities located in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Tak, Mae Hong Son, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan.
Survival bags were distributed to people living in poverty in both urban and rural areas, some living with HIV/AIDS. Some live in areas where they are inaccessible to public health services and those who do not have Thai citizenship and have limited access to rights. The SDSU helped those who were directly infected with Covid and facing quarantine and self-isolation, and families or communities locked down for periods of time.
The SDSU is committed to keeping everyone safe from COVID-19 spread, both those who are receiving the help, and those staff and volunteers who are delivering the help. True partnership was demonstrated and activated between GMP, SDSU and the church districts within the CCT. Good networking took place and public health care was provided.
The recovery process regarding health, economy and social needs can be slow and burdensome to families and community. As the COVID-19 outbreak continued to spread during February and March, some staff and volunteers in the CCT were restricted to working from home and felt unable to work normally. However, the SDSU reports that, as of April, people have felt, “more at peace and at ease with the situation and returning to work in person and feeling more able to serve fully again.”