In response to the national emergency measures against COVID-19 and to raise the awareness level about the importance of protecting all household (HH) members against the risks of this virus, the Syrian Society for Social Development conducted initiatives in two of its centers, Blas Center, Southern Suburbs of Aleppo Governorate and Beit Al’ailah Center, Sulaiman Al Halabi, Aleppo City.

The team responsible for the Gender-Based Violence Program led the initiatives targeting women and adolescent girls. The initiatives lasted for 4 days 25-28 March and covered the needs of 44 HH in Blas Center and 96 HH in Beit Al’ailah.
The hygiene kits included chlorine, liquid soap, soap bars, Dettol, face masks, and a hand gel sanitizer, as well as, a sketch book, crayons, and children stories (to entertain children during the long hours of quarantine).

Further, the team distributed awareness raising posters about preventive measures against the virus in several strategic spots around the centers and on the main streets adjacent to them. They also measured the temperature of several beneficiaries using an ear thermometer, while disinfecting it and using a new probe tip before examining a new beneficiary.

The female beneficiaries were happy to express their thoughts:
• “The distribution of the hygiene kits was right on time. It is very challenging to secure these materials and their pretty expensive.”
• “Antiseptics and disinfectants should be available in every household. They protect us against this pandemic.”
• “You did not forget about our kids! You brought them useful things to occupy their prolonged hours at home.”
• “You caught our attention on the importance of checking up on our temperature and avoiding negligence in cases of high body temperature.”

In response to COVID-19 pandemic and to raise the awareness level of older persons against the virus, mitigate dangers, and strengthen their protection level, given the fact that they are most affected by the consequences of the virus.
The Syrian Society for Social Development visited Dar Mar Mansour for Older Persons in Aleppo City. The team provided individual awareness raising sessions against COVID-19 to correct wrong perceptions and to fight rumors, distributed hygiene kits, and sterilized the furniture and rooms using antiseptics and disinfectants.

Here are some of the comments the team captured:
• “Your visit made us happy. We are grateful for your support and for remembering us.”
• “Reaching this old age, I did not know the correct way of washing my hands.”
• “Thank for your lovely gift and lovely spirit. Always visit us.”

The Syrian Society for Social Development in partnership with the United Nations Populations Fund conducted awareness raising sessions about preventive measures against COVID-19 targeting women and adolescent girls.

The team responsible for Aman Center, Zibdiyeh, Aleppo elaborated on the symptoms of the virus (fever, cough, difficulty breathing, and in some cases development of Pneumonia symptoms). They also explained about people at higher risk of getting infected, such as, people who suffer from immune deficiencies, older persons, people with chronic lung diseases and diabetes diseases, and people who undergo cancer treatment.

The team also stressed the importance of preventive measures including maintaining personal hygiene, regular washing of hands, avoiding social gatherings, maintaining social distancing, coughing and sneezing into your elbow (not your hand).
The females shared their feelings with us:
• “Today’s session was really important, it taught me how to protect myself against this serious virus.”
• “This session reduced my anxiety, having known that preventive measures protect against this disease.”
• “We should minimize social gatherings and abide by the preventive measures to stop the spread of this disease.”

The Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD) in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees conducted awareness raising sessions about preventive measures against COVID-19 throughout its community centers and satellite centers in Aleppo City and its suburbs, under the umbrella of Hear-My-Heart Program.

The team targeted 40 women in Arabesque Community Center, Bab Al-Hadeed elaborating on the symptoms of the disease and how it spreads. They addressed the most important and common questions, such as:
How Do I protect myself against COVID-19?
Avoid touching surfaces and disinfect them. Avoid touching your face. Avoid social gatherings. Get rid of your tissue right after sneezing or coughing and you’d better cough and sneeze into your elbow.

When Should I wear a face mask?
Either when you show symptoms of the disease or look after someone showing symptoms.
Most common symptoms: cough, and difficulty breathing.

Who are the people at higher risk of getting infected?
People with immune deficiencies and older persons. There are recent cases of children, especially infants and babies.
The team also taught the women the correct way of wearing face masks (colored side outward) and the difference between both sides. Toward the end of the sessions, the team distributed hand sanitizers and encouraged the women to spread awareness among their households and social circle.

Concluding the sessions, the team asked the beneficiaries about their opinions of the sessions:
• “We were scared to death; however, learning about preventive measures gave us reassurance that we could protect ourselves and our beloved.”
• “I am a widow and the only provider for my family, I have to stand in queue to buy bread or sugar. The idea of COVID-19 pandemic made me panic; however, information is power, I know what to do: I should maintain social distancing, wear gloves and a face mask.”
Further, the team designated parts of Hear-My-Heart sessions in the rest of the community and satellite centers across Aleppo city and its suburbs to raise the awareness level about safety and preventive measures (personal hygiene, quit shaking hands, the correct way of washing hands and using hand sanitizers, and the correct way of disinfecting things and surfaces).

The women assured the team to pass the information to their families and showed high sense of responsibility during the session, they were very creative in greeting each other while maintaining social distancing: some of them bowed like Japanese people, while others waved their hands in funny ways.
In the same vein, the Syrian Family Planning Association volunteered to conduct awareness raising sessions in Mosaic Community Center, Ashrafiyyeh. The sessions targeted 24 women and 46 men.

Due to the critical conditions the Syrian nation is going through and to raise awareness about the ramifications of COVID-19 and prevention means, the Syrian Society for Social Development conducted awareness raising sessions and recreational activities targeting children throughout its community and satellite centers in Aleppo City and its suburbs, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The sessions covered preventive measures to limit the spread of the virus, stressing the importance of maintaining personal hygiene, and the correct way of hand washing on regular basis. The team also distributed awareness raising posters in all the community and satellite centers.

Here are some of the comments captured during the sessions:
1. “Today’s session helped me understand the difference between bacterial infection and viral infection.”
2. “What they told us is simple and familiar; nonetheless, it is very important to practice it on daily basis.”
3. “I loved the session, it made me realize the importance of maintaining my personal hygiene to protect myself.”
4. “We should maintain our health and use tissues when we cough or sneeze.”
5. “All viruses are dangerous, not only COVID-19. It is our responsibility to abide by preventive measures to protect ourselves.”
6. “I will teach my friends and siblings how to protect themselves against COVID-19.”
7. “I should maintain social distancing whenever I see my friends or any other person. Social distancing helps in limiting the spread of the disease.”
8. “Personal hygiene is the protective shield of our health.”
9. “Neglecting personal hygiene may cause a lot of contagious and serious diseases.”
10. “The minute we enter our homes, we should wash our hands, before touching anything.”
11. “I should sterilize my hands whenever I hold the door knob of my classroom or finish writing. I should keep my clothes clean.”
12. “I acquired information about COVID-19, especially ways of transmission and how it spreads. I plan to share the information with my parents once I reach home.”
13. “I learned about ways of infection. I plan to maintain social distancing and carry tissues in my pocket to protect others, if I sneeze.”
14. “From now on, I will regularly wash my hands and maintain my personal hygiene to protect myself and others against viral infection.”

In the context of precautionary measures to prevent the emergence of COVID-19, the team of the Syrian Society for Social Development in Harasta distributed educational messages and hygiene kits to children from the local community. The hygiene kit included soap, medical gloves, hand sanitizers and hand-made disinfectants by the volunteers.

Furthermore, we stressed on the importance of social distancing, periodic hand-washing, and disseminating this information to the rest of their peers. Also, the team of volunteers sterilized and cleaned the center.

One of the children said: “We will all face COVID-19 together! We should all stay at home in order to protect ourselves and the ones we love.”

As part of the COVID-19 prevention strategies, and following safety procedures, the Syrian Society for Social Development’s team, which included volunteers and staffs, carried out a sterilization campaign at the Sanabel center in Qouneyah, Daraa.

Furthermore, they puy brochures on COVID-19 in the areas covered by the center (Qouneyah, Inkhil, Jasem, and Al-Faqee`) with the aim of spreading awareness about the latter.

In the context of preventive and precautionary steps against the spread of COVID-19, and in view of the misconceptions and methods of dealing with this epidemic worldwide, the Syrian Society for Social Development team, in cooperation with UNHCR, implemented an initiative to spread awareness on COVID-19 at the Nabd center in sallakh, Sweida.

The initiative included posters in crowded and public places (ovens, public hospitals, pharmacies…).

These posters included information on the virus’s transmission methods, prevention, and procedures and ways for maintaining public safety.

Furthermore, several volunteers put expressions in crowded areas and public facilities. Hey also put signs on how to stand in line, and installed separators between people to keep a safe distance between them.

In addition, SSSD coordinated with municipalities and the city council to help sterilize and disinfect public facilities and places (schools, hospitals, health points, shops, public transportation, and places of worship).

Based on our role in protecting society, and in compliance with the safety instructions under the current conditions and the emergence of COVID-19, the teams of SSSD and UNHCR cooperated with the responsible authorities in Al-Hameh in order to distribute bread. The aim of the latter was to reduce gatherings, especially in public ovens, and was implemented within the Protection and Community Services programme at the Beit El Salam Center in Al-Hameh, Rural Damascus.

Coordination has been made with the concerned authorities to assist in the daily distribution to the residents, whereby all parts of the area were covered within specific hours.

Furthermore, the team distributed face masks and disinfectants to the staff within the baking oven and distribution points, in addition to helping in the preparation and packaging of bread bags, and distributing them to the accredited personnel across the whole area.

The Syrian Society for Social Development persistently follows up on COVID-19 circulations issued by the Syrian Ministry of Health and plays an active role in raising the awareness level among the most vulnerable groups of the community. Drawing on that, Hama team conducted awareness raising sessions in Al Ghab Plain, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and in coordination with the medical point attached to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

The sessions took place in Merdash School and Shathah Community Center “Beit Ward”, targeting children, adolescents, and women. The sessions covered preventive measures to protect yourself and others against the virus, how to play a role in limiting the spread of the disease, as well as explaining the differences between Influenza and Corona.

Concluding the sessions, the team distributed face masks and sterilizers to the beneficiaries.