EU, Hivos Strengthen Community Resilience in Indonesia amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Jakarta: The European Union (EU) and Hivos have held a closing ceremony of their project “Active Citizens Building Solidarity and Resilience in Response to COVID-19 (ACTION)”. 
 
Two years after its launch in July 2020, the ACTION project has successfully contributed to increasing resilience and solidarity of vulnerable and marginalised groups impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. 
 
The event, held virtually, was officiated by the Indonesian Minister for Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati, and attended by the representatives of EU Delegation, Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, heads of districts/ cities and local government officials, the COVID-19 Task Force, community representatives from the target areas, development partners, CSOs, academics and media.

"With the ACTION Project we were able to support vulnerable and marginalised communities. We did not only address immediate (health) concerns, we also focused on longer term economic resilience. In every activity we put the needs and experiences of people at the center. From ensuring inclusive health information to decreasing food insecurity, all our interventions were informed by the communities we aimed to reach and each of them brought people, businesses, local governments and civil society organisations together. ACTION demonstrates the importance of addressing the urgent needs of people during the pandemic and post-pandemic period in an inclusive and collaborative way. I hope this work will inspire all stakeholders to continue to come together, both at a regional and national level," Michel Farkas, a.i. Executive Director of Hivos stated, said in a press release on Tuesday.
 
With financial support from the EU of €2.5 million or IDR 42 billion, the project has real benefits in terms of reinforced healthcare systems and contain the spread of COVID-19 in DKI Jakarta, Bogor, East Lombok, Makassar, and Yogyakarta. 
 
The project also improved the livelihoods of around 15,000 poor, marginalised, and vulnerable communities (including sexual and gender minorities and people with disabilities) who have been heavily affected by the resulting socioeconomic impact.
 
“The ACTION project is part of a €200 million (IDR 3.5 trillion) 'Team Europe' package to assist Indonesia in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic and social impacts, especially on the poor and vulnerable groups," said EU Ambassador Vincent Piket. 
 
"The project has reinforced health systems and limited the spread of COVID-19 in DKI Jakarta, Bogor, East Lombok, Makassar and Yogyakarta. It has also improved livelihoods of around 15,000 rural and urban poor through sustainable urban farming, business coaching for small and medium-sized enterprises, and vocational training for young people," he added.
 
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