Last month we asked our HE Space employees to come up with ideas how to support children who have suffered due to the COVID-19 lockdown. We received 7 responses, ranging from a complete proposal to ideas how to alleviate the situation for the affected children. On 24 June the HESCF Board consisting of Scott Millican, Carin Krabbendam, Claudia Evans and Barbara ten Berge met online and discussed these.

COVID-19 has spread all around the world and this was reflected in the countries for which the support was requested: Cambodia, India, Kyrgysztan, Philippines, Sierre Leone, Suriname and Thailand. The ideas ranged from food distribution, home schooling support, renovating a playground, to space education courses. 

We have selected two proposals which will each receive € 10k. In Suriname we will support the food distribution to children and their families. As Suriname has a large informal economy a lot of these families haven’t been able to work since 15th March. The situation is so distressing that people haven’t eaten for 2 or 3 days. The organisers will have several ways to select the most needed. Among other things, we will contact school directors to identify families within their schools who sent their children to school with no food prior to COVID-19. They will get basic essentials such as canned food, oil, sugar, potatoes, onions, flower, eggs, bread, butter, rice, milk powder, baby milk, fruits and vegetables.

For the Philippine schoolchildren in Daan Sarille we will support home schooling for those who don’t have access to other means so they can continue their education. In the Philippines under the current rules, schools will remain closed until the end of 2020, or until such time as a vaccine is available. For the affluent pupils teaching has continued by way of online classes, for poorer families this is not always possible. Either the family has no computer (or tablet), or no access to internet and sometimes even no reliable access to electricity. As teachers haven’t been able to reach their pupils, these children are at risk of falling behind in their education. Our employee Danna Pae Manuel proposes to support 1200 pupils by providing printed learning materials they need to be able to complete their classes.