March 3, 2021
News
As every year, the traditional Three Kings Collection took place this January. However, this year was different because due to the epidemiological situation, the carol had to do without the carolers in the streets. Donations were collected in special boxes in various places or they were sent online or via DMS. Despite the difficulties, almost 80,3 million CZK was raised. The fundraiser is still open and you can support it online or by sending DMS until the end of April. Let us show you how the money from the collection helped in developing countries in the last year.
In Iraq, we helped families in refugee camp gain access to health care
In Iraq, thanks to the donations from the fundraiser, we helped improve the living conditions for vulnerable families in a refugee camp between the cities of Dohuk and Mosul. These families did not have access to medical services in the camp. The only health center stopped services due to the lack of government funding. Caritas Czech Republic therefore helped open an operating clinic so that people in the camp would have access to health care. We also hired various medical staff, doctors and nurses, dentists, and also a midwife so that pregnant women could deliver their babies directly at the clinic.
In Iraq, we also helped people in Ninewa Plain returning home after the war with the so-called Islamic State. The war destroyed many businesses and agricultural infrastructure, so these people often struggle to find a stable source of income. Caritas helped locals both in the cities and in the countryside to make a living. In the countryside, we built greenhouses and equipped farmers with necessary tools. In cities, we have focused on restarting small businesses that have the potential to employ more people. We supported them through livelihood activation grants, which allowed them to start a business again.
We have improved health care for mothers and children in Cambodia
Caritas Czech Republic focused on improving the quality of health care in Kampong Chhang Province to help reduce child mortality. In this province, the infant mortality is still above average compared to other parts of Cambodia.
Thanks to the donations from the Three Kings Collection, we also supported three local hospitals. We helped to improve hygiene standards and made their management and financial procedures more effective. At the same time we also reconstructed and refurbished prenatal and postnatal care department in one of the hospitals, refurbished latrines and lavatory and provided special equipment.
In order to combat widely spread prejudices among public in Cambodia, we moreover disseminated information on adequate behaviour during pregnancy, through local radio, television and social media.
Thanks to our help, women in Kampong Chhang Province can enjoy much better treatment and give birth in safe environment.
In Georgia, we have helped to improve the quality of health care and social services
In Georgia, we have long focused on improving the health care system. In cooperation with the Georgian Ministry of Health, we create strategic documents and protocols and set health standards. We have put in place tools to help the Ministry of Health ensure and improve the quality of health care.
We have also developed standardized electronic management information system for village doctors and primary health care centers, which will make their work easier. Caritas focuses on training the doctors as well. For example last year we remotely taught Georgian doctors from rural areas how to treat the Covid-19 disease.
Based on the experience of the Czech Republic in Georgia, we are also improving services for adults with physical and mental disabilities. We create strategies for the transformation of outdated residential services for these adults into more appropriate community services based on individual needs.
The donations from the Three Kings Collection also enabled us to improve access to national cancer screening program in Georgia.
In Moldova, we are improving the functioning of social care services
Due to the rapid aging of the population, the demand for social and health services is growing in Moldova. Thanks to the contributions of Czech donors, we help to improve these services in Moldova.
We support home care centers that provide the necessary assistance to the elderly and people with disabilities. These centers play an important role in Moldovan society, as they change the lives of the often neglected elderly population for the better. We also involve trainees and volunteers in caring for the aging population, helping to increase capacity.
We would like to thank all the people who contributed to the Three Kings Collection. Thanks to you, we can help the most vulnerable people not only in the Czech Republic, but also in other countries. This money helps us to obtain funding from institutional donors, who in most cases require organizations to participate financially. Thanks to this, we can multiply the contributions from the fundraiser, and thus our help.
You can still contribute to the collection until the end of April.
