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FOR-BENEFITS

RESPONDING TO THE COVID-19 CRISIS

Everyday, for-benefits around the globe are working to tackle major social and environmental issues that are the results of a broken economic system. Since the pandemic was declared, these issues have been exacerbated. For-benefits are using their experience to redirect their efforts to respond to the pandemic and support the people who have been affected the most. Here you will learn more about their innovative responses:

Vienna-based startup Prewave offers live monitoring for supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19

Prewave

2-Apr-20

Prewave, a Vienna-based startup that has developed a technology for managing risks in supply chains with artificial intelligence, is offering it's unique "Corona Virus Disruption Map" to the public. This map shows the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in industrial supply chains and currently focuses on hotspots important for industrial production such as China, the USA, India and in Europe on Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Great Britain. The warnings for supply chain interruptions are generated with the help of artificial intelligence on the basis of huge amounts of data from news media, social media and messages from industry and logistics. Reports on the spread of the coronavirus and quarantine areas are also taken into account in order to identify risks at an early stage and provide predictive analytics on broken supply chains.

Kidogo: providing access to high-quality Early Childhood Care & Education during the pandemic

Kidogo

4-May-20

This crisis does not mean that children's development is paused or less important. In fact, experience with previous crises suggests children are much more vulnerable in these times due to poorer nutrition, increased abuse rates, and limited opportunities for stimulation. Kidogo's aim is to ensure children can continue to develop in a safe & stimulating environment within the current context of lockdowns and social distancing... We reoriented our Centres of Excellence department to developing and distributing "ECD Play Packs" for 2500+ children in the Kidogo network. These play-packs included a colouring & activity book, a recommended daily routine (to support parents) and various play materials including manipulatives and play-doh to stimulate children's imagination. Children who were assessed to be malnourished or at-risk of stunting are also receiving supplements that ensure they are able to continue to grow during these challenging times.

Virtual assistant ConHector reaches Colombian homes to increase financial resilience with a gender approach

Fundacion Capital

8-May-20

The economic crisis generated by COVID-19 is strongly affecting people living in situations of poverty and social vulnerability. Faced with the need to provide a solution to such populations, we decided to modify one of the technological initiatives that we had been developing and just one week after the declaration of the pandemic, we put it into operation to serve the new global context. This is how we activated our virtual assistant "ConHector" to provide clear and reliable information about the pandemic, promote the prevention of contagion, and reach homes with practical tips and tools that help people improve their economic resilience to the crisis with a focus on gender.

Reducing Learning Disruption in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic

Eneza

8-May-20

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments to shut down learning institutions worldwide as a measure to observe social distancing in order to curb the spread of the virus. This has raised some issues about the capacity of the normal school systems being able to adapt to modern technology such as digital learning to ensure that learning does not stop when there is an emergency...At Eneza, we are committed to ensuring that we can help each and every student in the country to be able to pick up from wherever they were with their studies before schools closed.

Addressing the growing need for food assistance in times of crisis

KitchensForGood

As the effects of COVID-19 continue to spread, thousands of San Diegans are now unemployed and unable to cover their essential needs. Now more than ever, we remain steadfast to its mission to break the cycles of food waste, poverty, and hunger in San Diego and addressing the growing need for food assistance in these times of crisis. We are continuing to ramp up our hunger relief meal production to meet the growing need in our community, while also supporting our students and alumni.

Ignite: The power of electricity in rural homes during a pandemic

Ignite

24-Mar-20

We at Ignite Power believe that in times of crisis, continuing to provide solar energy to remote communities is not enough - as we must accelerate the pace of installation to support more people in need.

Having electricity in the home prevents residents in those communities from crowding together to charge cellular devices or listen to the radio, allowing people to stay in their homes.

Electricity also improves every aspect of daily living: children can learn and read after dark; the family is connected to media (such as radio) and can follow the changing government instructions; solar pumps allow farmers to increase the growth rate precisely now, and more. Therefore, over the past few weeks, we have accelerated the pace of installation in the most remote communities in Rwanda, reaching over of 5,000 installations (30,000 people), in the new pricing program we launched in the beginning of the year, providing customers with electricity for less than a dollar a month).

Toast Ale : Feeding people in need

Toast Ale

11-Apr-20

Toast has always been about fixing the food system. In addition to brewing with surplus fresh bread, we've donated over 30,000 GBP to charities tackling food waste since we launched in 2016.

Right now, there's an unprecedented amount of surplus food in the UK.

Across the country, hotels, pubs, bars and restaurants have closed their doors, leaving the wholesalers that supply their groceries with nowhere to sell their food. At the same time, there's a growing number of people that need help putting food on the table...We're now donating every penny of proceeds from beers bought from our online shop towards getting food to those who need it most during the COVID-19 crisis. Every single can or bottle of Toast you buy online will fund a meal for someone who's especially vulnerable now.

Lucky Iron Fish launches COVID-19 Giving Program to support nutritional relief program in India

Lucky Iron Fish

COVID-19 has impacted more than 2 million people around the world. The long term impacts of COVID-19 will expand beyond the virus itself, putting strains on health and food systems. Access to food and nutrition is one of the important factors that determine people's capacity to cope with disasters, both in the short and the long term.

In India, the full shutdown has disproportionately impacted those already living at or below the poverty line. Our NGO partner Sahara Aalhad is serving marginalized populations by providing comprehensive services including nutrition, counselling, medical treatment, care & support, educational support, mentoring and advocacy for people dependent on substances or affected by TB and HIV.

Your contribution will help put Lucky Shakti Leaf in food distribution packages provided by Sahara. This will help families get sustainable and long term access to iron.

Barefoot College has pledged to distribute survival kits to villages in India who are in dire need of essential supplies

Barefoot College

6-May-20

The need is immediate for urgent attention on marginalized communities that are at a higher risk of infection and are critically low on food supplies. The pandemic has resulted in a food crisis that can be as devastating as the effects of the virus itself. By offering provisions, we can drastically reduce this burden on villagers and offer peace of mind for many who may be struggling both with sanitation and nutrition... Distributed kits include the basics that remote villages need as a minimum standard to ensure they can cope the brunt of the crisis. This includes every migrant worker, daily wage labourer, woman and child who currently have no source of income. In addition to food, kits include supplies that can keep families hygienic and safe as per WHO recommendations.... We also recognize the need to support farmers, whose livelihoods are also threatened due to unprecedented changes in daily life including transportation obstacles. Perishable vegetable produce from hundreds of local farmers in villages unable to reach local markets, because of the lockdown, will be picked up from their respective locations at fair wage prices and distributed within the survival kits.

BankQu: Technology that changes the way waste pickers work in society

BankQu

17-Apr-20

While many of us are confined to our homes, looking for new sources of income, or working extensively in essential jobs, waste pickers around the world are facing their own version of COVID-19 life. And for them, the effects are immediate and potentially disastrous...

Being asked to stay home is ultimately a death sentence for waste pickers who earn their meals and shelter one day at a time. Plus, with restaurants and bars closing all around the world, there simply isn't as much waste to find and sell...

Online platforms, like BanQu, are enabling brands and waste pickers to work together, tracking supplies and transactions on both sides. Brands can use the technology for inventory control, waste prevention, records management, risk management and much more. And waste pickers can use the platform as an economic passport _ or a way to prove to banks and businesses that they have a work history, and they have earned and deserve that job, bank account or business loan

Alter Eco Cocoa Farmer COVID-19 Relief Fund

Alter Eco

With COVID-19 impacting our global food supply chain and the health of our farmers, we are taking immediate action to support our cocoa co-ops to fund protective measures for themselves and their families... Alter Eco has already sent funds to cover supplies like soaps, gloves, and masks, although additional money is needed to purchase building materials for sanitation stations, sinks and checkpoints as a long-term solution. With a window of only 15 days harvest time, putting these important measures in place to keep everyone safe is key in protecting the farmers livelihoods... Our Peruvian and Dominican Republic partner co-ops are made up of 2,000-3,000 farmers and families. They have communicated both basic products including food (rice, sugar, oil, tuna, sardines, noodles, coffee) and sanitary supplies (masks, hand sanitizer, gloves) are the priority for distribution to its most vulnerable members. These 'family kits' will be assembled by the co-op with a combination of funds from this fundraiser and Fair Trade premiums.

Isolated, not alone: Natura and Avon unite against domestic violence

Natura

28-Apr-20

The number of domestic violence reports has increased in the US and around the world during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233), there has been an increase of about 9% in reports. Between March 17th and 25th, there were 3,303 calls received and 978 domestic violence reports registered. In France, an increase of 36% in cases was reported in Paris alone after movement restrictions were enforced. In China, women's NGOs saw their consultation numbers triple...

With the purpose of spreading a message of prevention and fighting against violence across the world, The Avon Foundation for Women has developed initiatives to offer support to women and their families during the Covid-19 pandemic...

The personal development portal and the app will have a designated section to identify domestic violence cases and provide guidance on appropriate action directly supporting a network of more than 1.7 million Natura Beauty Consultants.

In order to support all of their associates, Natura and Avon will promote a 0800-service dedicated to assisting associates who are victims of violence, providing mental health, social and legal support.

Proximity Designs: As Rural Myanmar Adapts to the Covid-19 Crisis, Understanding Farmers' Needs is Vital

Proximity Designs

10-Apr-20

Gaining a deep understanding of farmers and their needs has always been central to what Proximity does. Our research-based approach has helped us design life-changing products and services that have saved untold hours of labor, boosted yields and provided access to timely information on everything from soil composition to pest problems.

As Myanmar faces this unprecedented moment, that deep understanding is more important than ever; the situation is changing rapidly, and so are farmers' needs.

We've conducted an online survey to get a picture of farmers' understanding of the pandemic, and the impact it's having on their businesses, families and communities. We've repurposed our popular chatbot service, which we developed to teach agronomy techniques and give pest and disease advice, to give users tips on how to quarantine properly, a list of useful phone numbers, a myth-busting section and details about Covid-19 symptoms.

Now we want to use our research to tailor public health messages to the specific needs of different farmers. That's important, says Elisabeth Chin, Senior Service Designer at Proximity Labs, because Myanmar's rural landscape is so diverse. Social distancing in the Dry Zone, for example, where people may "have households right next to each other," calls for a different approach than in villages in the Delta where "you have to ride a boat to get from household to household," she says.

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