Over a year into the Covid-19 pandemic, the Habibiya Covid Crisis Care is continuing with its task of taking care of the Chatsworth community who are struggling to recover from the deadly virus and the effects of the nationwide lockdown.
Community activist and centre PRO, Omi Nair, said the initiative must be applauded as these individuals saw the need to make a difference in the community and “promptly acted upon it time and time again”. She said Habibiya Covid Crisis Care even stepped in during the Chatsworth water crisis.
“The realisation and the ramifications of what the water outages would have on Covid-19 positive patients dawned, especially as we were in a pandemic and on the eve of the second-wave. Steps were immediately put into place to alleviate the pressure on the hard-hit community. The community was hit with the water crisis for seven-days and some areas were without water for up to 12 days.” Besides opening their doors and borehole for the community, the organisation also went the extra mile by filling up JoJo tanks and flow bins and delivered the water throughout the affected areas. “The community of Chatsworth is a middle-income area and the job losses took its toll on residents. After being tested positive, residents did not have the means to get themselves immune boosters and wholesome meals which were essential to fight off the virus. The daily death rate was increasing and something needed to be done to rein it in,” she said.
Together with civil society and some corporates joining this initiative, a Covid-19 immune booster pack was created for the benefit of those who were unable to obtain it themselves. The team also went above the call of duty by adding fruit, vegetables and a hot meal to the daily mix which was delivered to the patient’s door. “Indigent families were assisted with grocery hampers as well. All this was done free of charge and the whole idea was to help people fight the virus in their homes without having the need to go for assistance to the hospital, which was already strained with overworked staff and lack of beds and resources. The idea was to keep the entire family in isolation and prevent the virus from being spread further.”
The organisation was opened to sponsors who supplied oxymeters as well as oxygen concentrators that were loaned out to patients who required it. “Come hail, rain or shine, day or night, the volunteers were running around with hot meals, booster packs and assessing those who required oxygen.” Nair said their volunteers were not deterred with the reality that they were also putting themselves and their families at risk and chose to prioritise the needs of their patients first. “We are heartened to note the high recovery rate amongst the community. This would not have been possible without these selfless Samaritans lead by Kader Goolam. We salute you all. We are appealing to anyone who can assist us further in this drive with sponsorship and donations to bring relief to the Covid-19 positive patients and their families.” The Covid-19 pack include Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, immune boosters, honey, pain relief medication, oxygen machines if required as well as daily food and grocery hampers. For more information on how to donate or sponsor towards this initiative contact Kader Goolam on 082 819 7850, Sayed Umar 084 903 0024 or Pastor Michael on 074 269 9834.
