DAVID ADAMS speaks with Esther Lehmann-Sow, World Vision International’s partnership leader for faith and development, about the organisation’s work with faith leaders during the coronavirus pandemic…
Esther Lehmann-Sow, World Vision International’s partnership leader for faith and development, speaks about the organisation’s work with faith leaders during the coronavirus pandemic…
The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted nations across the world. How has it impacted the work of World Vision internationally?
“Even though we are already several months into this crisis, it continues to be a fast-changing situation but one thing remains at the top of our concerns: the long-term effects on children, especially the most vulnerable.
“We are having to adapt and adjust every day, to some of the immediate effects such as temporary halts of some cash and food distribution programs, cancelling in-person trainings, and restrictions on the movements of our field staff.
“Importantly, our ability to help children survive and rebuild their lives depends on supporters and donors around the world and we urgently ask them to give what they can.”
Health workers and faith leaders have joined World Vision’s campaign, “Understanding means better cooperation to fight COVID-19”. PICTURE: World Vision
I understand World Vision is running WhatsApp information sessions for faith leaders around the world. What’s the purpose of these sessions?
“We work with faith leaders so they can use their influence on parents and local governments to adopt behaviours that protect and provide for children. In this case, faith leaders are playing a key role in helping to spread correct information about COVID-19, and offer support to communities at a time when face-to-face meetings are difficult.
“The WhatsApp groups operate much like a telephone tree, with each of those participants taking what they have learnt, and activating their own networks, helping World Vision reach about 80,000 faith leaders.”
These are Christian leaders as well as leaders of other faiths?
“World Vision’s long history of working with churches means we have strong partnerships with local churches of diverse denominations, as well as leaders of other faiths, based on a shared commitment to improve the well-being of all children.”
Esther Lehmann-Sow, World Vision International’s partnership leader for faith and development. PICTURE: Supplied.
“Faith leaders must be truth tellers, because their influence is invaluable. I don’t think there is disagreement on this point – whether that influence is for good or for ill, is very much a live discussion however. I have seen first hand, so many times, the positive power of faith leaders.”
Why are faith leaders so important to their communities in times like this?
“Faith leaders must be truth tellers, because their influence is invaluable. I don’t think there is disagreement on this point – whether that influence is for good or for ill, is very much a live discussion however. I have seen first hand, so many times, the positive power of faith leaders.
“They have an important role to play to stamp out misinformation. To correct damaging mistruths. As with Ebola, in some of the countries where World Vision works there is a lot of stigma associated with COVID-19, especially towards people who are infected or have recovered from the disease. They are being shunned, or – hard to believe – hearing that becoming sick with COVID-19 is a divine punishment for sin. Faith leaders have a vital, unique role at times like this.”
What sort of innovative approaches have you seen faith leaders taking to grappling with the outbreak in their communities?
“Let me give you an example. In Sierre Leone, there are two faith leaders we have worked with in the past, including in response to the Ebola outbreak. Pastor Peter and Chief Imam Alhaji Mustapha Koker began contingency planning before COVID-19 even arrived in Sierra Leone. Pastor Peter told us: ‘We began speaking to each other’s congregations and then moving our sermons to radio and television when we needed to isolate. But for many poor communities, they do not have access [to radio and television] so we bought megaphones and speakers, and with the blessing of authorities, started visiting villages, and educating them in this way. We have written jingles for the children so they can remember important messages’.”
I gather many faith leaders are drawing on expertise gathered during previous disease outbreaks?
“Absolutely. We have seen this in Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo where we worked with faith leaders and communities to respond to Ebola outbreaks. In the early days of COVID-19, many faith leaders we’d worked with previously spontaneously using our training and adapting resources we’d previously produced, including prevention messages. When they got word of the outbreak, they used it immediately.”
WORLD VISION AND ALPHA LAUNCH ONLINE ‘CAFE’ FOR CHURCH LEADERS
World Vision is partnering with Alpha International to launch an online ‘cafe’ for church leaders, a place where they can share their experiences, find support and discuss strategies.
The move, which follows a pilot project, sees the cafe hosted on the Zoom video-conferencing platform 24 hours a day for the next couple of weeks. It will be hosted by staff from the New Zealand, UK and USA offices of both Alpha and World Vision.
Mark Sheard, the CEO of World Vision UK, says church leaders are typically the “go-to person for the congregation in times of crisis”.
“Most would not have received any training on how to lead through a pandemic such as COVID-19 and so having an opportunity to share experiences, listen and learn from one another is hugely valuable.”
Laura Bradford, the head of global marketing at Alpha International, added that the initiative was about supporting church leaders “in any way we can”.
“Currently church leaders are having to wear multiple hats – pastor, producer, social media expert. We wanted to create a safe place to share, learn and support each other in this time of uncertainty. Alpha and World Vision are global organisations which enables us to open the café worldwide 24 hours a day. The café is designed for church leaders to come, share, pray and be blessed.”
~ churchleaderscafe.org
– DAVID ADAMS
What are they saying are the greatest challenges with regard to this outbreak?
“The restrictions on movement and the scale of the crisis are making responding challenging to all of us. But on top of this, many of the places World Vision works are rural and remote, so low connectivity is a major issue. This means the costs involved in using mobile phone internet are prohibitive for many people. Faith leaders and our staff also continue to battle low awareness about COVID-19, and trying to correct misinformation, which spreads so quickly.”
You talk about the secondary effects of the outbreak affecting children. What do you mean by that?
“We are saying that while children may not suffer the worst symptoms of COVID-19, millions of young lives will be put at risk as pressure is put on already weak health systems. Children whose caregivers get sick or die will be at higher risk of malnutrition, diseases, death, abuse and exploitation.
“Lockdowns and forced isolations can put children at risk, as some children may be locked in houses with the very people who abuse them. We know this virus is increasing pressure on parents and caregivers, and can cause stress and conflict within the home, which is why World Vision is providing psychosocial support to help families cope.
“Education is a lifeline for millions of children, particularly girls all over the world, where schools are places of vital education, and also one of the safest places to be during the day and for many, their only source of a nutritional meal.
“For people living hand to mouth, the loss of work is devastating and makes any kind of recovery even harder. World Vision is providing family support packages as part of our response, but we remain really concerned about the havoc these secondary effects will cause.”
Faith leaders are working with communities during COVID-19 outbreaks around the world. PICTURE: World Vision
Aside from the communications with faith leaders, what else has World Vision’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak around the world involved?
“When disaster strikes, World Vision is active on the ground, quickly providing immediate support. We are responding in more than 70 countries, aiming to reach 72 million people through a $US350 million response, with a special focus where children are most vulnerable.
“Our response will help prevent the spread of COVID-19, support health and community life-savers and help people recover from the devastating economic impacts of the pandemic. We work in collaboration with generous supporters, local authorities, frontline health workers, academic institutions, faith and community leaders and the UN. Our child sponsors have made it possible to respond to this crisis from the beginning. Our response is focused on four key areas:
1. Promoting preventative measures.
2. Supporting health systems and workers.
3. Protecting children made vulnerable by coronavirus.
4. Collaborating and advocating to ensure vulnerable children are protected.”
Are there any lessons that you’ve learned in responding to this outbreak that will change the way you do things in the future?
“We have already seen that the relationships and trust we have built over the years with partners, communities and faith leaders enabled a quick start in our response, rallying people around joint action to see a rapid uptake of adapted behaviour. World Vision’s focus on vulnerable children means while we are responding to the pandemic now, we are not losing sight of the long-term, perhaps even more devastating effects it could have on children.
“Without a doubt, there will be things we as a global community, as organisations and as individuals, learn from this crisis. But my faith in Jesus Christ reminds me that ahead of us, along with the hard lessons, is hope – of reconciliation and renewal.”
