SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde Appeals for Donations for Coronavirus Efforts in Italy

Luxembourg NGO SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde has called for solidarity with children in Italy in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde has committed itself to supporting its sister association SOS Children's Villages Italy in the face of the current public health crisis and to allow it to continue to support young people and families as well as possible on a daily basis.

With the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the situation in Italy, the second worst hit country after China, continues to deteriorate. At present, there have been more than 2,150 deaths and 28,000 confirmed cases of the disease. The Italian government has imposed very strict rules since 12 March 2020, namely the confinement of the whole country. More than 60 million people are affected.

Since the onset of the pandemic and faced with the urgency of the situation, SOS Children's Villages Italy has taken the necessary measures and applied the recommendations in force in the country to protect the health of children and adolescents living in SOS Villages or beneficiaries of SOS programmes, as well as that of SOS employees (230 people).

Currently, SOS Italy manages SOS Villages in Trento, Vicenza, Saronno, Ostuni, Mantua and Rome as well as two SOS programmes in Turin and Calabria. Around 500 young people are involved in these programmes. In accordance with ministerial orders, the activity of volunteers as well as the outings of young people and all outside activities have been suspended as well as meetings with family members. In each programme, employees and young people received information on the precautionary measures to be taken. Regarding the suspension of school activities, distance courses are currently taking place.

In its efforts to protect the family home, SOS Children's Villages Italy has deployed its social workers and other collaborators in extensive awareness-raising work around the right rules to adopt to protect the health of beneficiaries of the association and other members of the community. Emphasis is placed on the psychological aspects linked to the emergency situation: children and adolescents are informed in an appropriate manner (depending on their age) and are comforted and reassured. Nevertheless, the association's ability to continue providing optimal assistance to children has become a challenge and additional means and resources are required.

In times of crisis, emotional trauma is natural, which is why SOS Italy has been providing physical and mental health maintenance programmes for young people as well as particularly overworked and vulnerable teams in these exceptional circumstances. SOS Italy has also decided to set up an emergency intervention to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, which focuses on reducing stress and improving psychosocial wellbeing, promoting and developing positive strategies in parenting education, reducing the impact of fear, anxiety and other similar reactions and promoting online training and capacity building in the field of mental health.

In this context, SOS Italy has announced plans for several measures including the mapping of structures and experts in mental health and psychosocial support in each region where the association is present, including public and private health and education services and the establishment of Internet platforms to develop awareness of common reactions in the psychosocial and mental health field. These include forced quarantine and positive ways to overcome the situation, such as messages and activities to help children manage stress and their own care. Other measures include offering online consultations with mental health specialists and continued support for the six SOS Villages in Italy and the development of the emergency assistance programme to continue providing services both inside and outside SOS infrastructures.

In order to support these initiatives in Italy, SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde has appealed for donations from the Luxembourg population. Donations can be made via bank transfer to the account CCPL IBAN LU65 1111 0050 0053 0000 (mention "Coronavirus - solidarity with SOS Italy") or online at sosve.lu.