Volunteers are humble heroes in the fight against COVID-19

Wash your hands with soap … wear a mask in public ... keep your distance from other people. These now-familiar measures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 sound simple enough – but in reality, these actions did not come naturally to most people before the pandemic.

The declaration of a global pandemic in early 2020 demanded that most people in Indonesia – and the world – change their behaviour to contain the spread of the virus. But for many communities, not knowing what to believe and where to go, or who to trust for guidance, made the outbreak of COVID-19 a frightening and confusing time. This is why UNICEF partnered with the largest Islamic organizations in Indonesia,  so that faith-based organisations were empowered with accurate information – and their volunteers could be mobilized to reach citizens directly.

Ramadhana is a one of these volunteers. He focuses on raising awareness and sharing information within communities on how best to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“First, we try to find out the level of understanding of COVID-19 in the community. Then we share information on how to minimize transmission by washing hands, physical distancing, staying at home and wearing masks,” Ramadhana explained.

During their community outreach activities, Ramadhana and his fellow volunteers visit houses, hand out flyers and talk to people about how to protect themselves.

“I feel the community has not yet understood the danger of COVID and what clean and healthy living actually is,” said Ridha, another volunteer. “Even before COVID, we should have been living a clean and healthy life as recommended by our religion.”

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Unlike Ramadhan, Ridha doesn’t often visit communities. But she is involved in coordinating dialogues with religious leaders and putting up posters and banners in mosques and public spaces. When we met, her team was about to clean and disinfect two Muhammadiyah-affiliated mosques. The 30-year-old is no stranger to chemicals as she works as a chemist in the Environmental Department at the Water and Air Environment Laboratory.

Ramadhana also has a good understanding of and compassion for public health: During the day, he works as a nurse at the Islam Pondok Kopi Hospital.

“Since the beginning, because my background is in health and I’m a volunteer, I’ve been very interested in educating the community about the coronavirus,” explained Ramadhana. “There is still stigma in the community; there are those who see the coronavirus as a conspiracy theory or a hoax.

Ramadhana also has a good understanding of and compassion for public health. He’s a nurse and works at a hospital.

“There is still stigma in the community; there are those who see the coronavirus as a conspiracy theory or a hoax,” explained Ramadhana.

“The biggest challenge is the risk of exposure because I go directly to the community,” he said. “We can’t tell if someone is asymptomatic.”

Commitment, compassion and bravery continue to underline Ramadhana’s and all volunteers’ outreach during the pandemic. Please will you consider a donation, made online here, as a symbol of your support?

As a father of six, Ramadhana has to be careful. Not only does he risk exposure to the virus from his work as a nurse, he also visits different communities each time he volunteers.

"I have six children, and the oldest is in the 4^th grade,” he added. “I always try to safeguard our interactions. I make sure to observe the safety protocols when I go home and we interact.” This includes showering and changing his clothes before he sees his family, and wearing protective equipment while working at the hospital and limiting face-to-face interactions with patients.

Despite these risks, Ramadhana and Ridha have taught people how they can stay safe.

Endah, a pregnant mother, is one of many people who has benefitted from the volunteers’ efforts. “I learned how to wash my hands correctly, stay healthy and get enough rest,” she says, holding her three-year-old daughter, Fatima on her lap.

People like Endah and Fatimah are the reason that community outreach is crucial – and UNICEF is committed to ensuring that the most vulnerable people have access to accurate information. Knowing what to do to prevent infection is just as important as knowing what to do if infected. Through your support today, you can help keep Indonesia’s mothers and children safe ­– because when it comes to COVID-19, knowledge saves lives.