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COVID-19: Updates

Dear EPIC supporters,
This is a country by country report of what EPIC programs are doing in response to the CORONAVIRUS.

El Salvador 
On March 28th, APRODEHNI staff, accompanying public health workers, began distribution of soap, alcohol gel, masks and information on the prevention of COVID-19. EPIC provided major support for these needed safety materials.

Guatemala 
Before the government initiated travel limits, EPIC program partners in Guatemala spent the week printing and distributing 2,200 flyers on how to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Educational flyers were distributed in 4 departments (states). Text messages were also widely sent out by most of EPIC’s Central American programs using WhatsApp.

If getting enough food is your first priority, soap is a luxury. But, how can you wash your hands without soap? 1,500 bars of soap were carried to 14 villages by pickup or if necessary on promotor’s shoulders. For some children, hand washing is almost recreation – especially if you have nice hand soap!

This man’s staff indicates he’s a municipal authority on official San Jacinto business. 

Honduras
In the Lake Yajoa area, doctors were treating patients and screening for coronavirus without protective equipment. EPIC provided $300 for masks and gloves and local Hondurans added to this effort.


Across EPIC Programs:
Plant, plant, plant!
Increasing food accessibility

In Honduras, Laureano and Patricio Jacobo, Directors of La Semilla, and their program promotors are using “at home” time to plant (above, right). Laureano says that after each disaster in Central America, there have been serious food shortages.

The Baja Verapaz program in Guatemala distributed vegetable seeds for home gardens in all of the villages where they work. The promotors did this just before the government restricted trips to the villages due to coronavirus. This program works in an area where families experience widespread food insecurity even in normal times.

Salaries are continuing as normal for all program partner staff where their organizations receive support from EPIC. These program persons are working from home – in many cases they are gardening, planting fields, and doing long-tern labor intensive soil and water conservation work.

Thank you for your loyal support to EPIC, making this work possible.
Gratefully,

Sincerely,

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