8 April 2020 | Ljubljana, Slovenia [Katja Kotnik]
ADRA is active in the small Balkan nation of Slovenia, offering training to volunteers and practical help to the elderly and to healthcare workers.
Slovenia issued a state of emergency regarding COVID-19 on 12 March. Immediately ADRA Slovenia connected with regional civil protection units, municipalities, and local communities.
Responding to a primary need, ADRA offered training to local community leaders on how to handle volunteers and how to communicate during the crisis. They also shared very practical medical expert training on the proper handling of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
ADRA also designed and printed flyers for the local leaders. These included public access contact numbers with the types of help on offer, including for psychological distress. The leaflet also provided information about COVID-19 and answers to three main questions: ‘Why #StayAtHome?’, ‘Why #DisinfectHands?’, and ‘Why #AskForHelp?’.
Local community leader Tanja responded, “Thank you so much, for helping us get started. Our residents really appreciate us offering them support.”
ADRA equally recognised the need to support both healthcare workers and elderly residents in residential homes. This resulted in a project called ‘Healthy baskets’, where they offered fruit, natural juices, and various vitamin C supplements to help boost the immune system.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Slovenia provided substantial financial support towards this response.
Healthcare workers are over-stressed, away from their families and risking their lives to save others. ADRA staff and volunteers responded to this specific need. At the same time, the residential care homes are under quarantine so the elderly residents are isolated, and their families cannot care for them as usual.
The church has many Adventist healthcare workers in Slovenia and ADRA will continue to partner with them to assess needs during the current pandemic. With many donations from the Church and the wider community, the ADRA Slovenia aim is to make the nights easier and the days nicer for many of those afflicted by the coronavirus outbreak.
tedNEWS Staff: Victor Hulbert, editor; Deana Stojković, associate editor
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