Finding hope in the midst of a pandemic

These are uncertain times, but we need not fear. There may be unprecedented challenges to face, but there is still joy, love, community and hope.

As the spread of the coronavirus continues to escalate worldwide, and as we all continue to navigate new and unfamiliar ways of doing life, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and uncertain.

But today I don’t want to feed that fear, I want to encourage us to lift our eyes above ourselves and think of the big picture, the long-term, the other and the future.

I am not saying this to dismiss the very real pain, loss, sacrifice and struggle that we all may be facing the coming months, I simply want us to remind each other that there is more to life than this pandemic, and more to our day-to-day activity than self-isolation or social distancing, however you want to define it.

Now, first, a reality check:

Life in India during this time is about as complex and intertwined as their electric cables…

We have to sit in our homes and watch Netflix. When necessary, we can go to the shops and get what we need (even if there’s no toilet paper at the time or our regular brand of pasta!) We can usually make do and someone we know can probably help us out if things get desperate… If we lose our jobs, there is welfare on its way, and laws in place to protect those who might otherwise lose their homes.

I don’t say this to undermine the challenges people in Australia are facing. I know people personally who are really struggling, and all our lives will be forever changed. We can tell that already without having faced the worst of it.

But compared to the acute challenges people in the developing world face, we are in the best possible scenario. We have excellent health care, we have the provision of good services including clean water, electricity, internet (even with all the extra usage!), and good food security. And it seems if we all manage to keep ourselves at home and social-distanced as much as possible, we can really flatten the curve and help protect the most vulnerable in our society. (Let’s keep at it Australia!)

But what about the situation facing others in the world that are less fortunate?

Let’s take a (virtual!) trip around the world…

Although we can’t be in India at the moment, we are hearing regular updates from our team there on what the reality is like for them on the ground.

India, with its population of 1.3 billion people, is in total lockdown. It’s hard to imagine how that even works with so many people living in close quarters in cities and slum communities, with already very limited access to sanitation, water, food, jobs and all other basic necessities at the best of times.

But mix in a pandemic and all of a sudden people who are used to living this way have spiralled into panic and fear at the change and uncertainty of it all. It is the poor who will be most affected by the crisis. Those who live by subsistence (day-by-day, hand-to-mouth existence) do not have the luxury to stockpile, they can barely afford enough food for a day. Now their jobs have disappeared overnight, nor do they have the skills or opportunities to get a new job, nor apply for Centrelink, even if relevant welfare did exist. Our team in India works with some of the poorest in the slum communities and they can see them losing hope each day as the situation continues. Lockdown stays in place, and is even renewed (currently extended to 3 May, 2020). For those who do get sick, there is sometimes no one to take care of them, or to take care of their children who depend on them. Imagine if you were in their shoes - how would you feel? What would your biggest concern be? What would your priority be? How would you feel about not being able to work and feed your family?

The situation is grim, the future is uncertain, and the hope of avoiding catastrophe is thin.

How do we respond to such overwhelming need?

One of the families we serve thankful to receive emergency supplies in March

Just to focus on the problems and the potential impact of this virus is quite daunting, sobering and downright terrifying. But there is another way through it all…

Stepping up for one another

I have been humbled and awed to see the way our staff team have stepped in. Those who are normally running sports sessions and life skills education meetings are now food distributors. Our Director is now the only person who can go out and purchase supplies in their car because all public transport, autos and rickshaws are no longer operating. Food markets are open for a few hours in the morning but only 1 person from each family can go out, so our Director goes out and purchases all the supplies she can manage, in order to deliver it to needy families that we have contact with, and to the safe house where trafficking survivors await another season of change and deprivation. (As an aside, these women in the safe house, and their children are also coincidentally experiencing a bout of chicken pox at the moment - would you join us in praying for relief and healing?)

So we love, we serve, we pray, we give.

Proactively springing into action

It has been amazing to see the team spring into action. They did not sit idly by and wait for someone else to address the need or for this problem to go away. They did not wait to be asked to help. They did not even wait until we had the funds in order to help adequately. Instead they used the resources at their disposal to meet the current needs of the most vulnerable in their networks.

I didn’t think we were a general aid organisation responding to the practical needs of average community members (because that’s not really what we do), but that is what we have had to become temporarily. Our staff are out there in the community, amongst the needy, giving of themselves, their time and their safety in order to bless those around them. With each bag of rice and dhal, a whole lot of love, kindness and hope is delivered.

Local community response

Perhaps most surprisingly is the response of the local community. At the start of this, we didn’t have spare funds sitting around waiting for an emergency, but the local community in India was able to contribute and help their poorest neighbours. That, to me, is amazing to hear. Locals realise how dire the need is for the poorest in their community and they want to do something to help. We have seen that in Australia too and I am encouraged to see people look out for their neighbours and do what is good and loving. We have also had some of our amazing supporters in Australia start to contribute some funds to our Emergency Supplies Appeal, we have been able to continue to provide care packs to the vulnerable families that we work with.

Holding onto hope, but remaining responsive

This is hope. Taking action instead of sitting in despair. Caring and giving, instead of stressing and hoarding. Praying and doing, instead of waiting and watching.

Yes there are huge problems we are facing but we are also able to find solutions. Yes things are strange and scary, but there is ample reason to hope and look forward to a future we can all be proud of contributing to. May I encourage you not to sit idly by and wait for someone else to deal with the problems. Grab a hold of hope, share it with others, and do something real.

If you would like to be a part of the solution, please stay home, wash your hands, and donate to our Emergency Supplies Appeal or become a regular supporter of The Freedom Project today.

As a Christian organisation and as Christian individuals, we must choose to hold on to the peace of Christ over and above any fear, uncertainty or selfishness. We must choose love, generosity and hope.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27

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This blog was written by Marissa Smithson, Operations Director at The Freedom Project