The world stands to the biggest threat of the 21st century. The new world history of fighting against a Pandemic called COVID-19 is being written now,  which will be taught to the students at schools after decades.

They tell us to stay at home and most of the people are obeying the rules, but I can’t. I am outside from morning till night to protect them because they are under high-risk groups. As a Volunteer, I represent Red Cross Society and cooperating with the Government administration Department. And with my group of Volunteers, I collect and sort it our packages for people who are above 70 years old, living alone and are within vulnerable groups, also for families with many children to reduce consequences of COVID-19. We have 830 beneficiaries in 3 districts. We have communication with them, bring packages to the destination and trying them to understand how to avoid all dangers connected to Corona Virus and ask them to stay home.  Our volunteers make notes after delivering products and we have a list of addresses, where we have to come back in 10 days.  We have all information about our Volunteers, in which destinations they have been. If someone has some sort of symptoms, we will know who is under high-risk in the group.

Before everything started, Georgia Red Cross Society created National Disaster Response Team. So we had trainings about First Aid, Psychosocial help, Disaster Response. So we trained during 7 days and the last day of our trainings, we knew that COVID-19 was starting spreading in Georgia. We went to places, there were many people and we gave them fliers, where was written recommendations. After that, we recorded video and talk about how to protect ourselves and help prevent spreading the virus to others. Every day people are listening recommendations from Television, what we recorded. We started standing in airports for thermal screening to save resources of medics. The most important thing is, that we have equipments, we are protect all rules of safety.

The first days were so stressful, thinking that we were alone and couldn’t overcome some issues. We didn’t know how to handle it, but everything changed at the speed of light with huge help of many volunteers, who brought peace and hope in our hearts.

At the beginning of the Pandemic, COVID-19 we bought everything we could at markets. We thought only for ourselves, which almost started a crisis. But today it’s different when we buy something for our family, we add some products for others as well. We’ve changed for a better way, we started caring for older members of our society. Have you ever seen so many grateful faces of people? I’ve never had, but I have now and always will remember.

Now we are the one, we are supporting each other, realizing how much does only one kind word mean, how important is to hug one another when you can’t and it’s the really big emotional level of our lives. And we understand how grateful is to take care of someone and when someone takes care of you.

I received a warmhearted letter, where there was mentioned: “One person’s action pushes another to be inspired of doing something great.‘’  So now the girl who wrote the letter wants to engage in volunteering activities.

Several days ago our volunteer gave me handmade socks for older people and told me, that it was knitted by her 74 years old mother, who wanted it to be taken to beneficiaries.  It was very emotional, everyone trying to do their best.

In my opinion, after everything will be over, our world will become a little heaven for a while, because I deeply believe, that a person can definitely be a light in another person’s life.

 

 

 

Nino Kavtaradze
Georgia Red Cross Society
April 20, 2020