EU and World Vision Launch I-COPE Project to Mitigate the Public Health Crisis and Support Economic Recovery

Thứ tư, Tháng 12 16, 2020

JAKARTA, 16 DECEMBER 2020 World Vision, with financial support from the European Union of €1,647,000 or IDR 28.9 billion, today launched the project "Indonesia COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Response (I-COPE)". The project focuses on preventing the transmission of COVID-19 and reducing its impact on vulnerable children and families. The project targets 90 villages in six districts/municipalities in Indonesia, namely DKI Jakarta, Surabaya in East Java Province, Southwest Sumba and East Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara Province, and Ternate and North Halmahera in North Maluku Province. The I-COPE project will benefit 1,1 million people, and specifically targets 12.000 vulnerable groups, including children, women, the elderly, and people with disabilities who are at high risk of  COVID-19 transmission and have been heavily affected by the resulting socio-economic impact.

The I-COPE project will run for 24 months and aims at scaling up COVID-19 preventive measures within communities, providing sustainable livelihood recovery assistance through microeconomic initiatives and a cash voucher programme for affected communities, improving community access to social security, and providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to health workers. In addition, the I-COPE project will provide training to six civil society organisations (CSOs) on financial management, hygiene and sanitation, communication of COVID-19 risks, mental health and psychosocial support, and combating misinformation and social stigma. It is hoped that the capacity building of CSOs can contribute to improving the quality of human resources in the target regions, especially in preventing transmission and handling of the pandemic.

“The current COVID-19 pandemic shows the importance of community resilience in adapting to changes that have occurred. Family welfare has a major impact on the welfare and future of children, therefore it is important for all of us to collaborate in helping families who are economically affected during the COVID-19 pandemic so that children can continue to get their rights and continue to grow and develop well," said WVI National Director, Doseba T Sinay.

"In principle, the Provincial Government of North Maluku, especially the BPBD, is very responsive to this programme because it will strengthen our coordination and cooperation with WVI that has been established so far. In handling COVID-19, BPBD is at the forefront so we are very supportive of the activities that become pilot projects in Ternate and North Halmahera,” said Yunus Badar Kalak, Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of North Maluku Province.

In his remarks, the EU Ambassador to Indonesia H.E. Vincent Piket stated that the European Union is proud to support the I-COPE project to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and to reduce its economic and social impact on vulnerable children and families. This project is part of the “Team Europe” package assisting Indonesia in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The total amount of €200 million or IDR 3.5 trillion, raised by the EU and the EU Member States together. “The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis and presents risks to the rights and safety of children and families. Those risks can only be mitigated through solidarity action. Indonesia and the EU are working together to defeat this pandemic and to transform the way we nurture and invest in the young generation,” he added.

The results of a rapid assessment conducted by Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) on the impact of COVID-19 in Indonesia show that the pandemic has affected the household economy, especially those who rely on the agricultural and informal sectors such as Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for their livelihoods. As many as 35% of respondents stated that their income fell by 51%-75% as a result of the pandemic. Through the I-COPE project, it is expected that 4.000 families whose sources of income are affected by COVID-19 can meet their basic needs, and 1.800 families will have access to finance and income-generating activities to restart their livelihoods, as well as access to social security for protection in emergency situation.

About the European Union

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union between 27 Member States. Together, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms.  In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the causes of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The EU is the largest trade block in the world; as well as the world's largest source and destination of foreign direct investment. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are the largest donor of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing more than half of ODA globally.

About World Vision

World Vision is a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities worldwide, to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. Since 1981, World Vision Netherlands (WVNL) has been part of the WV Partnership. For the I-COPE project, WVNL acts as the Coordinator of the project. It works closely together with Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) as field implementing partner. WVI has been part of the WV Partnership since 1998. WVI strives to make sustainable changes to the lives of children, families and communities living in poverty, and dedicates itself to working with the most vulnerable communities regardless of religion, race, ethnicity and gender.

For more information, please visit http://www.worldvision.nl, http://www.wahanavisi.org or contact:

Sabtarina Dwi Febriyanti, National Project Manager I-COPE

Tel. +62 813-3066-0725
Email:
sabtarina_febriyanti@wvi.org

Amanda Putri Nugrahanti, Media Relation Executive

Tel. +62 21 2977 0123 ext. 3304/M. +62 811 274 9344

Email: amanda_nugrahanti@wvi.or.id