07/05/2020
Stories of hope and unity during COVID-19
https://www.unicef.org/nepal/stories/stories-hope-and-unity-during-covid-19
The need to stay hopeful and kind – to each other and to oneself – during this crisis was key among the messages put forth by young people from Nepal and Italy as part of a recent webinar organized by UNICEF in collaboration with UNDP, WHO, UNV and the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Nepal. As part of the webinar four volunteers from UNICEF…, Anik Rana Magar, spoke of the challenges faced by the community during the pandemic – namely, a worsening of the marginalization and stigma that they already face – and stressed on the need for better support. She explained how she has been actively working to provide urgent medical support to members of the LGBTIQ+ community throughout the COVID-19 period. “I…, Virginia Barchiesi, shared her story of being active through a volunteer programme for which she also received a medal of honor from the President of Italy. But she admits that as a planner, it wasn't easy for her to adjust at first. “Since I tend to over plan my days, this pandemic was a hard experience initially, but I understood that I needed to sit back and be…, Sagar Parajuli, shed light about the importance of mental health support for young people. "I myself went through repeated phases of feeling depressed at the start of the lockdown." Referring to the reported increase in cases of domestic violence and online harassment during the lockdown period, Sagar also talked of his own efforts, working with the local…, Rasani Shahi , spoke about her anxiety and worries when the pandemic initially hit, then described how she shifted her attention to focus on more productive ways of coping – including self-care, exercise and cooking. “We cannot afford to be selfish. We need to be kind to each other and show empathy at this difficult time that the whole world is going through…, Roshani Adhikari, talked about the different ways in which she has been keeping herself engaged during the pandemic. Visually-impaired herself, Roshani said she doesn’t let her disability stop her from doing her part to contribute to her community or advocating for inclusion of people with disabilities in various activities and opportunities. She is also learning…, Anastasia Vasapollo, spoke about the important of knowing that we are in this crisis together and that the pandemic shows us how connected we are as a global community. She explained how important it was to speak up about the fear and anxieties created due to the pandemic, and talked about how her work with UNICEF has enabled her to use her network to reach more…
