Dear ESSF,

Working from home and keeping a distance are actions that are difficult for workers, one of which is those who work in the manufacturing sector. In order to avoid the risk of terminating their contracts, they must continue to achieve production targets that are ongoing and not show a decrease in targets, even though we are in the Covid situation.

Difficult times were faced by the Indonesian people when the new variant of Covid 19, the Delta variant, appeared. With a character that is easier to transmit, this variant affects the increase in transmission and death rates due to Covid 19. Since early August 2021, the Covid death rate is estimated to reach 100 thousand cases (databoks.katadata.co.id). This situation is also influenced by the small number of vaccine recipients in Indonesia.

The period from June to August 2021 is a difficult period that makes us as a women’s organization feel powerless. One of the collective efforts we made to stand up was to decide to turn our office into a soup kitchen to prepare food for our network and colleague, labor union activists affected by Covid and self-isolate in their rented houses in the North Jakarta areas.

We used assistance from ESSF to operate the soup kitchen above. In addition, we also distributed aid funds from ESSF for the rental of an ambulance for one of the union leader in North-Jakarta who had to be hospitalized and the purchase of oxygen cylinders and distributing aid packages to the Karawang area. It should be noted that in the above timeframe, it is not easy to access hospitals and proper care for people with Covid. Therefore, people are self-isolating.

We are very grateful to ESSF and all the individuals who donated for the assistance provided during the period from June to December 2021. This assistance is very meaningful for the work we do. Even though our motions are limited in the Covid situation, solidarity that is not limited by distance is the strength to rise and survive.

Kind regards,

Mutiara Ika Pratiwi
Perempuan Mahardhika

€3.800 went sent in 2021.