Campaign aims to crowdfund relief packages for at-risk groups

Campaign aims to crowdfund relief packages for at-risk groups

The Covid-19 pandemic has spared no particular group of people. Yet, some groups have been hit harder than others.

Senior citizens, the disabled, the homeless and impoverished are labelled as "at-risk" groups.

Covid-19 infections among these groups are more likely to arise partly because their social conditions are below par and access to help is limited.

"So, these vulnerable people need extra helping hands during the Covid-19 crisis," Piyawan Prayuksilpa, director of the Khonthai Foundation, said. "Many of the people are not lucky enough to have a home or a family to take care of them and are struggling to get by."

To ensure that at-risk groups are not left behind, the foundation is working with crowdfunding platform Taejai to raise 1.1 million baht to distribute "survival packs" to these groups.

So far, the social campaign has solicited 300,000 baht in donations.

Ms Piyawan said each survival pack will contain nutritional, dried and fresh food, medicine, masks and other supplies. Packs meant for the elderly will include senior nappies.

She said the project started with the idea of helping seniors that may not have family or live alone. But the scope was expanded to cover other groups after staff members realised people were still left behind.

"We found that many people also struggled to support their children and families because they lost their job," Ms Piyawan said.

"Everyone needs help, so we cannot be choosy nor discriminate against who needs help. Our goal is to provide help to as many people as we can," she added.

Sirinart Torviriyalertchai, project manager at Taejai, said donations so had been used to assemble 800 care packages distributed among targeted groups.

They were delivered by local non-profit organisations. Ms Sirinart said the project aims to distribute at least 4,500 care packages to at-risk groups across the country.

The Khonthai Foundation and Taejai are now working with other non-profit organisations in 13 areas under the project.

These areas include Bangkok and the provinces of Samut Prakarn, Chon Buri, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chaiyaphum, Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Maha Sarakham, Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.

Donors and partners can have a say in which group they want to help.

"For example, our partner in Bangkok is now focusing on helping people in Klong Toey slum communities," Ms Sirinart said.

"Our partner in Surin is helping a community that produces handicrafts and is now struggling to sell their products due to the spread of Covid-19."

She said people who want to donate can do so through the following link: https://bit.ly/3bbRHdT.

Ms Sirinart said people who cannot make a monetary donation can help by spreading the word about the initiative.

"We know this campaign will be a long marathon to help people," she said. "Even once the country reopens, there will be people who suffer in the months after. We need to provide support however we can," Ms Sirinart said.

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