This year, we have undertaken an eclectic array of projects. Along with our plans originally intended for 2020, the need to mitigate the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic prompted us to undertake completely new forms of initiatives throughout 2020. Considering the wide variety of projects that we have embarked on, we wanted to hear from some of our beneficiaries, as well as some of the fantastic volunteers who contributed their time and effort.
Malta
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Malta, we launched our MOAS Masks Malta initiative in which we called upon local tailors, seamstresses and volunteers to contribute to making homemade facemasks for vulnerable groups on the island. We were blown away by the tremendous response we received for both rounds of the project and we are so appreciative for the considerable dedication and generosity given by all those who contributed their time and support to us over the past year. The community support that made this project possible has demonstrated a substantial degree of solidarity during this unprecedented and challenging time.
Some of our volunteers explained to us what contributing to the project has meant to them:
“To start with, being of assistance, even in this small way, to those who have little or no way of sustaining their own health and that of their fellow people, gives me great encouragement to go on helping as much as possible. I truly believe that helping others who are less fortunate than me, is a good way to make life worthwhile. Secondly, let us also thank you [MOAS] for involving us in this project and also congratulate you and your members, those who deliver and collect the masks, on their friendly and educated manners which are becoming a rarity these days. It is a great pleasure for us to collaborate in your venture.”
“It felt good to be part of a community, a good cause. To see that people care.”
“It has been a pleasure to assist MOAS with their mask making for children. All materials were well supplied and the instructions clear and easy to follow.”
In addition to the need for preventative measures to combat the spread of the virus, ensuring access to education during this unique time has also been a major concern for MOAS. Following the outbreak of coronavirus and the subsequent enforcement of lockdown in Malta, children living in the island’s open centres for asylum seekers experienced difficulties in accessing remote education services, due to a lack of available resources. For this reason, MOAS purchased and distributed tablets and internet connection devices to several migrant families to help them maintain access to education throughout these difficult times.
We heard from the mothers of two families that took part in the Remote Learning project:
“We arrived in Malta in September last year and my seven-year-old son was attending primary school before the outbreak of COVID-19. I would like to thank MOAS so much for the tablet, it is very useful. My son was able to do his homework and keep up with his education by taking lessons remotely when schools were closed. I dream of a better future for him, and by studying, he may have the opportunity to become an educated person, which as a mother would make me proud. I believe that studying is really important to build a future and I am grateful for this opportunity.” – Princess
“We arrived in Malta one year ago and my son started school here. The tablet is so useful as a way to improve and learn. He uses the tablet a lot to study. Every day he devotes at least three hours to doing his homework, including Math, English, Science and Maltese. If it is difficult, he takes more time to study. I find this project very useful because children with tablets can read, study, play and do many different things. They may also be able to study art or music remotely in the future. I also use the tablet from time to time, it is really useful for improving and learning many things. The opportunities are endless.” – Amina
Yemen
As the conflict and crisis in Yemen endures, tens of millions of people continue to rely on humanitarian aid for survival. This year, MOAS once again shipped nutritional supplements to Yemen to assist in the fight against the rampant food insecurity and widespread infant malnutrition afflicting the country.
A father in a rural area of Yemen whose baby daughter had received treatment through MOAS and our partners, ADRA Yemen, described to us the impact of our deliveries of Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food (RUTF):
“My daughter is one and a half years old and she suffers from moderate acute malnutrition. She was losing weight and appetite. When the mobile clinic team arrived, they weighed my little girl and discovered that she was suffering from moderate acute malnutrition. She was given some of the PLUMPY food and she liked it. My child’s health condition is improving significantly. We thank the team that worked hard to follow up on the case. Honestly, they did not hold back, even they though we are in a rugged rural area. But they were able to control this situation and the results are positive, thank God. I thank the working team of the mobile clinic and I thank also ADRA and the donor MOAS.”
We are very thankful to able to collaborate with ADRA Yemen on our shipments of nutritional aid and contribute to enhancing the availability of vital, life-saving services for vulnerable communities. We spoke to ADRA’s Director of USG Programs and Partnerships in Yemen, Mohammed Bahashwan, who highlighted the effect our partnership is having on their operations:
“The support from MOAS throughout the past years has been critical to the programming we do, especially for addressing malnutrition needs. We are very fortunate to have this support and partnership with MOAS, providing these nutrition materials and supplements to many of our health facilities on a very regular basis, and continually providing nutrition services including acute malnutrition and moderate acute malnutrition. Having this access and support from MOAS for our interventions is a great driver of much more impactful programming.”
Final thoughts
At the end of such a turbulent, unpredictable year, it is fantastic to hear about what our projects have meant to our beneficiaries, volunteers and partners. Their words demonstrate the reasons why we do what we do at MOAS, as well as the substantial benefits of galvanizing community support and collaborating with many fantastic, dedicated partners.
If you are interested in the work of MOAS and our partners, please follow us on social media, sign up to our newsletter and share our content. You can also reach out to us any time via [email protected]. If you want to support our operations, please give what you can at www.moas.eu/donate/.
