In response to social and economic hardships faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ARC and FLC have established a joint initiative; Child Aid Relief in Emergency Situations (CARES), to support families with children. CARES provides Food Relief for families with children that are referred by the Government of Maldives as those that require food support.
CARES Food Relief consists of meal support and basic food support, whereby the former provides daily meal support to individuals and the latter, food supplies. Food supplies covered under Food Relief include rice, flour, lentils, milk powder, tuna cans, eggs, and assorted cans of vegetables.
With the outbreak of the health crisis in Male’, the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services requested ARC and FLC to provide food support to families with children. In this regard, 5 families, counting 12 children and 12 adults, were provided with daily meal support under CARES Food Relief. In an effort to ensure the stability of the affected families, especially in light of the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, basic food supplies now have been provided to 8 families, including the 5 families initially supported with daily meal support. These 8 families supported under CARES Food Relief within the first week of lockdown include 20 children and 17 adults, including 6 single mothers.
Relieving hunger, especially in this difficult time, is one of the main aims of CARES. Working together with ARC and FLC in relieving hunger as main partners of CARES is Bank of Maldives, BHM Traders, Dhiraagu, Ensis Fisheries Pvt Ltd, Mihaaru, The Edition, Ooredoo Maldives and UNICEF. CARES is independently audited by Prudent Chartered LLP. In total, CARES Food Relief has thus far reached 37 individuals, experiencing dire economic hardship, where most individuals have gone over a day without any food.
