(ZAMAN Al WASL)- Syrian refugees in Germany have volunteered to help with the Covid-19 pandemic by sewing and distributing them in cooperation with German charity organizations and led by AWO, which commended their efforts and solidarity to protect the community and fight discrimination.
A semi-official AWO branch in Dortmund had received more than 400 masks by refugees. Their goal is to manufacture 2000 masks daily and to deliver them to the elderly and the sick. Bridgit Zwerner, head of the Crisis Management Team, said, “This shows that many refugees who have arrived to our city see themselves as active members of the community, and I am happy for that.”
A group of refugees launched several volunteering campaigns in different regions, serving the elderly and the sick who live alone. Amjad, a resident of Freiburg, joined such a campaign, as his city was one of the first cities in Germany to impose a curfew. “This city took us in when we came as refugees looking for a chance at life, so today, it is our duty to return that favor.”
In Hamburg, Raed explained that his part-time job prevented him from volunteering directly with the organizations, but he still contributed on his own time, to the best of his abilities. “I work three days a week with four free days, during which I help my elderly neighbors, who are the most vulnerable to the virus, with shopping, gardening and other things outside the house.”
Raed said that the best way to help during this crisis is to adhere to the preventive measures, maintaining a safe distance, avoiding crowded areas, avoiding handshaking and kissing, etc. “With the start of Ramadan, we need to spread more awareness and should show a greater commitment, especially concerning congregational prayer and banquets.”
Some German newspapers reported that refugees also volunteered to help with the harvest season, which runs between April and May each year. The government has closed the borders to seasonal laborers from Eastern Europe, leaving it short on workers. The pandemic has been detrimental to this year’s harvesting and planting, which made the refugee’s initiative crucial.
Meanwhile, museums, exhibitions, memorials, zoos and botanical gardens in Germany can reopen in Germany, provided they can fulfill social distancing and hygiene requirements to minimize the risk of infection, German media cited news agency DPA as reporting.
According to Reuters, these conditions were particularly important for smaller or historic buildings which were often less easily adapted. A 10 million euro ($10.88 million) fund would help museums carry out the necessary modifications, the reports said.
Magazine Focus added that church services would also resume following a period in which they have been banned as part of measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus epidemic. The reports did not give a date on which new measures would come into force.
Zaman Al Wasl
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