To SiKanda’s team,
To the foundations, donors, collaborators and partners of SiKanda, To whom it May concern:

The pandemic recently declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to COVID-19, as well as the health emergency in numerous countries, has motivated the government of Mexico to take some precautionary measures to mitigate contagions by coronavirus in our country.

Considering that our organization Solidaridad Internacional Kanda, A.C. (SiKanda) collaborates with vulnerable communities susceptible of contracting the virus and that our team is also exposed to possible infections, SiKanda has taken the following preventive measures starting today and for at least the following 3-4 weeks:

Individual measures:

1) All of SiKanda’s team (permanent staff and external professionals) will reschedule all workshops, meetings, events or any face-to-face activity, until further notice.

2) If it is essential to attend a meeting, precautions will be taken, such as the use of mouth masks, avoid hand shaking, keep a distance of at least 1 meter with the interlocutors, constant hand washing (for at least 60 seconds) and use of disinfecting gel when there is no soap. The use of SiKanda’s vehicles and/or bicycles will be favoured to avoid public transport. The use of SiKanda’s vehicles and/or bicycles will be favoured to avoid public transport

3) From March 17 and until further notice, all the employees will organize their schedule of activities to work from home, using video calls, using the cloud to share files and messages by WhatsApp or cell phone.

4) If someone from SiKanda’s staff shows respiratory symptoms such as those already indicated by the authorities (dry cough, sneezing, lack of breath, temperature above 38 degrees Celsius), they should contact their supervisor immediately and stay home.

5) If someone from SiKanda’s team thinks they have contracted the coronavirus, it is recommended not to go to the hospital except in a medical emergency. In this case, it is important to dial the numbers established by the local and federal authorities, to channel your case.

Group and community measures:

It is important to consider that SiKanda’s staff is not among the age groups with the highest risk of fatal COVID-19 disease; however,joining collective efforts to avoid becoming symptomatic or asymptomatic virus vectors is crucial.

7) We have the privilege of being able to carry out part of our work from home, without jeopardizing our employment. Not all people can take such kind of measures. We appeal to your solidarity for the common good, inviting you to demonstrate a responsible attitude, adopting distancing actions also in your social life, avoiding crowded public spaces and keeping abreast of official information.

8) If more than 2 people require to visit the office, they will take the sanitary measures indicated above. Each person is asked to disinfect his/her work equipment(cell phone, computer, desk, chair, table, etc.) each time they visit the office, which has all the necessary disinfection material. The support of the team in this task of disinfection until further notice will be essential to ensure mutual care.

9) We know that reducing interaction as much as possible with the communities with which we collaborate is a drastic measure; however, we consider that it is also an act of solidarity towards the participants of our projects, who due to their situation of violation of rights, may run greater risks in the face of contagion and have less access to health services. We will keep foundations, allies, collaborators and participants informed of these precautionary measures and the rescheduling of activities.

10) Trusting that together we can contribute to reducing the transmission curve of the virus, we invite everyone to maintain a very low social profile, as well as constant virtual communication to advance with work activities and support each other. We are aware that social distancing can be a measure that generates feelings of fear or frustration. You are encouraged to schedule at least one video call daily with someone from the team to talk, share and ensure our mutual well-being.

Sincerely,

José Carlos León Vargas
Director
Solidaridad Internacional Kanda, A.C. (SiKanda)