Riyanti (58 years old), a resident of Mekarjaya Subdistrict, Depok, who has just recovered from Coronavirus, shared how shocked she was when she discovered she was detected with COVID-19. The woman, who is working as a laundry service worker for a living, admitted that she felt a bit unwell at first, and she bought medicine from a small kiosk. A few days later, she lost her sense of smell and taste. She didn’t know where she got infected because every time she left the house, she always applied health protocols such as wearing face masks, maintaining a safe distance, and washing her hands with soap and running water.
“I was stressed and scared. When we were at the worst phase of the pandemic, the mosque near my house often announced names of residents who passed away,” she said.
At first, Riyanti was doubtful and scared to participate in the vaccination program. This is because one of her neighbors became ill after being vaccinated. “I was about to be vaccinated, but then a neighbor who was vaccinated went ill and got high fevers for three days. I then canceled my vaccination schedule since I got scared,” Riyanti explained. After she contracted COVID-19, the first child of three siblings admitted she was sorry she didn’t do the vaccination when she could. Finally, Riyanti got her first and second doses of vaccine last September.
Cash Voucher Assistant (CVA) provided by Plan Indonesia meant a lot for Riyanti and her family. Mainly because her sibling had a stroke, and it happened not long after she herself fell ill. She planned to use the CVA to buy daily necessities, since her sibling is still recovering. Riyanti also expressed her hopes that the COVID-19 pandemic could end soon and that life could go on as before.
As a response to the pandemic, Plan Indonesia has conducted a COVID-19 emergency response at Jabodetabek, focusing on meeting the needs of children and young people, especially girls. The humanitarian aid is targeted to reach 1000 children from the age of 0-18 years old, consisting of 500 marginalized girls and 500 marginalized boys living in Jabodetabek area. Through the COVID-19 emergency response, Plan Indonesia hopes to protect the children from the spread of COVID-19 and fulfill the children’s rights, especially for girls, children with disabilities, and marginalized families. (***)
Writer: Ciptanti Putri | Editor: Intan Cinditiara
