How Ideally to Donate in the Middle of a Pandemic?

It looks like the Covid-19 outbreak will (not yet) end in 2021. This means that many people still have to continue to struggle with changing lifestyles. Life sectors ranging from education, transportation to tourism have felt the negative impact of the pandemic, especially the decline in income.

Donation Information

Inevitably, the poverty rate has increased. Let’s take a look at the number of layoffs around us during the pandemic from March 2020 in Indonesia. When delivering a thick, clean, washed blanket to the house, the laundry owner told my parents that he (had to) lay off his staff because laundry profits had decreased by 50%.

A teaching partner who served as a facilitator for orphanage donors also talked about the reduced nominal donations since the pandemic. The decrease in the number of donors is felt not only by charities helping fellow humans, but also donations to animals and the environment.

Several animal shelters whose social media accounts I participated explained about the increasing number of pets, especially the ‘furry’, namely dogs and cats, who have been abandoned (dumped) by their owners since Covid-19 due to limited monthly funds to care for the cute anabul.

Even though the pandemic weakens the economy, this does not mean it will reduce our empathy for donating. A global survey for 10 years (2009-2018) in 128 countries to 1.3 million respondents shows that Indonesia is in the 10th position as a country with the most generous citizens (the most generous countries). The report from the survey on the World Giving Index was conducted and released in 2019 by the Charity Aid Foundation based in the UK.

Early in 2021, the Indonesian people have experienced natural disasters in several places. In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic has not decreased and is even predicted to experience the second peak wave. The concern of other people who are not affected by the disaster is very much expected.

Then, how can we still donate during the pandemic? The following is a summary of personal and other people’s experiences regarding the importance of (regularly) donating in the midst of a pandemic hitting the economic sector.

Hopefully this can be an inspiration and motivation for all of us to always help each other even in the midst of all the limitations that have existed since the outbreak of Covid-19.

Donate Info to people and the environment

Our donations can be started from family, colleagues, and neighbors. They are the people we interact with on a daily basis. The existence of the WhatsApp / WA group is definitely very helpful in disseminating information when there are group members who need help.

For example, many residents of the Rukun Tetangga / Warga (RT / RW) now provide daily consumption when a family has to undergo independent isolation. To my knowledge, residents who are positive for Covid-19 are required to report to the local RT / RW Chairman.

Costs for food aid as well as cooked food usually come from the residents’ cash (monthly fees) as well as personal donations so that the amount can be sufficient.

In addition, there are also many offices that raise funds to help their staff who are currently experiencing large expenses for medical treatment, including the campus where I teach.

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