PROJECT REPORT
DISTRIBUTION OF PREVENTION MATERIAL TO WOMEN DOMESTIC WORKERS AND CARERS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE
Indian Culture Centre Foundation with the collaboration of the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya)
Implementation period: from 1 June 2020 to 30 September 2020
1. Introduction
During the first months of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, one of the most vulnerable groups was that of women domestic workers and carers of elderly people. Many of them continued carrying out their professional activity in private homes and in direct contact with especially vulnerable people, often without the protective equipment necessary to guarantee their own safety and that of the people they cared for. With the aim of responding to this urgent social need, the Indian Culture Centre Foundation, with the support of the Government of Catalonia, launched the project “Distribution of prevention material to women domestic workers and carers of elderly people”, carried out between 1 June and 30 September 2020.
2. Project objectives
The main objective of the project was to protect the health of domestic workers and of the elderly people they cared for daily, by providing prevention material and raising their awareness of basic protective measures against COVID-19.
The specific objectives were:
- To provide personal protective equipment to women domestic workers and carers.
- To reduce the risk of virus transmission in the home setting.
- To guarantee greater safety both for the professionals and for the elderly people they cared for.
- To inform about the health measures recommended by the competent authorities.
- To support an essential group who, during the pandemic, continued providing indispensable services.
3. Activities carried out
Over the four months of the project’s implementation, the Foundation organised several distribution sessions for preventive material at its care facilities, as well as through actions coordinated with social organisations and community networks. Each beneficiary received a package of preventive material adapted to the needs of her workplace, which could include masks, hand sanitiser, single-use gloves and other protective material available at the time. At the same time, practical information was provided on hygiene measures, the correct use of protective equipment, the prevention of infection and the recommendations set out by the health authorities. The initiative was carried out while observing at all times the safety measures in force during the state of health emergency.
4. Results achieved
The project provided direct support to approximately 450 women domestic workers and carers of elderly people, many of them of migrant origin and in a situation of employment and social vulnerability. The distribution of preventive material helped increase protection against COVID-19 for both the professionals and the elderly people they cared for daily, helping to reduce the risk of infection in one of the most sensitive settings during the pandemic. In addition to the delivery of material, beneficiaries received up-to-date information on preventive measures and health protocols, reinforcing their knowledge and encouraging good practices in carrying out their work.
5. Final assessment
This project represented an emergency response with a significant social impact, addressing an immediate need identified during the health crisis. The collaboration between the Indian Culture Centre Foundation and the Government of Catalonia made it possible to reach an essential group that was often left outside the usual channels of support, helping to protect both the workers and the elderly people they served. The experience gained during this project strengthened the Foundation’s commitment to community health, equal opportunities and support for the most vulnerable groups, consolidating its work as a leading social organisation in supporting migrants and in developing programmes of social interest.
