Surya Bhatta, Executive Director of One Heart Worldwide based in Kathmandu shares what it's been like for him and their team to manage two waves of the pandemic, with the current second wave being even more devastating. Thanks to Direct Relief and One Heart's successful fundraising efforts, and the local staff's ongoing commitment to promoting the health and wellbeing of birthing women and their newborns, many lives have been saved. This is despite 10 of 65 in-country staff and their families testing positive for Covid. Surya, his wife and two young boys had to isolate for 20 days and experienced a range of Covid symptoms. Thankfully, everyone has survived, tho' cases continue to skyrocket.
The staff has realigned priorities to mobilize services and supplies including PPE and medications to their all program districts, many of which are very remote and hard to reach.
Rapid Response Funding from Global Force for Healing helped stock these supplies during the first wave, and keep the new Maternal & Newborn Health Emergencies Helpline and Telehealth Program going.
Surya says, "Despite the hardships faced this year, I have never been prouder to be Executive Director of this organization. Had it not been for the determination of our team, the strength of family, the support of our global community, and a shared concern for women and their children, I am not sure that we could have pulled through this pandemic as strongly as we did."
To read the rest of Surya's story and other remarkable 2020 accomplishments of One Heart Worldwide, check out their 2020 Annual Report:
They have raised 82% of emergency funding needed. Please help close the gap and give directly to: https://give.oneheartworldwide.org/campaign/covid-19-emergency-response-2021/c339641. If you have already made a direct, tax-deductible contribution, thank you!
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