#TogetherAtHome UN Volunteer Challenge

For nearly a month now Sri Lanka has been placed under strict travel restrictions due to an onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Our beneficiaries and staff have been confined to their homes, with lessons conducted online or home delivered. Being cooped up at home for long periods of time can lead to distress and frustrations, which is why when UN Volunteers introduced the #TogetherAtHome challenge we introduced it to our beneficiaries across Sri Lanka!

We challenged our beneficiaries to come with simple activities to #volunteerathome under the 5 themes introduced in the challenge; Responsible consumption and production, Good Health and Well being, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, Climate Action and Quality Education. Our beneficiaries were given the freedom to interpret each topic on their own and do simple activities with what each one meant to them. 

The results were pleasantly surprising as our beneficiaries found unique ways of expressing their thoughts and ideas: 

Good Health and Well-being

Our beneficiaries did simple exercises, played with their siblings and spent time outdoors.

Responsible Consumption and Production & Climate Change 

Beneficiaries planted trees, looked after their home gardens and practiced sustainable methods of agriculture

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Two of our beneficiaries in Jaffna practiced Sinhala as their link language to signify reconciliation, while other beneficiaries distributed food packs to low income families in their locality.

Quality Education

Despite the difficulties of following lessons online or being unable to,  many of our beneficiaries did their homework and studied hard.