This World Humanitarian Day 19^th August 2020, Charter4Change wish to pay tribute to all our #localheroes who demonstrate local capacity. Charter4Change wish to see the humanitarian aid system effectively reflecting a shared humanity, solidarity in diversity and equal dignity among people.

Local humanitarian workers are real life heroes, who struggle to preserve the life of others by putting their own lives on the line. Today more than ever before, it seems, humanitarian crisis abounds everywhere in their diverse forms and shapes. #LocalHeroes like the ones represented in the blogs below are humanitarians who defy all odds, make extraordinary sacrifices amidst heighten insecurity from Northeast Nigeria to Afghanistan. The COVID-19 pandemic adds an additional burden on their shoulders. “During this pandemic they bring hope, relief, food security, improved health, social cohesion, protection measures for the most vulnerable and sustainable livelihoods to survivors of humanitarian crises”, says Nkese Udongwo, Director of Humanitarian Services, Caritas Nigeria.

“In every crisis situation, we see #reallifeheroes. They are the living souls that sustain the humanity in us. But with limited resources for own protection, we see greater risks our #localheroes are facing especially in this time of pandemic when the international aid system is largely paralyzed”, says Regina Nanet Antequisa, executive director of ECOWEB, Philippines.

DR Congo/Santé et Développement (SAD):

Our organization has been involved, since the declaration of the pandemic in the DRC, in educating the masses in the adoption of behaviour favouring barrier measures directly in the communities, both in the design and in the dissemination of good anti-Covid.

We have created the anti-Covid brigade which circulates in the neighbourhoods broadcasting from megaphones, awareness messages and education on community risk in relation to Covid and barrier measures. We mobilized influential people in the community to locally raise funds and produce masks (12,000 pieces) which were distributed to the most vulnerable people unable to afford it.

With the funds raised locally, we have the health centers (8 health centers) which have notified the most suspected cases of individual protection kits for all nursing staff and on the front line. We have just provided schools (30 schools) with prevention kits against Covid-19 made of hand washing kit, thermo flash, hydroalcoholic gel, soap cube etc . We have also trained journalists from all local media to increase awareness against the spread of Covid-19.