Providing a critical lifeline when it's needed most
Hello to everyone in the Free to Run community. We hope that you’re staying safe and well during this very challenging time. We wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with an update on the current situation in the regions where we operate, and an update on our programs. COVID-19 has certainly affected Free to Run participants, their families, and our local staff. Over the past few months, we’ve been focused on rapidly adapting our program curriculum so we can provide critical lifelines to as many of our program participants as possible.
The coronavirus disease has deeply affected all of us, no matter where in the world we may be living. As Europe and North America are slowly starting to emerge from the crisis, in other parts of the world - particularly in countries suffering from ongoing conflict or the aftermath of fighting - we have yet to see the full effects of the pandemic.
The populations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where Free to Run is operating, are facing an unprecedented health, social and economic crisis. COVID-19 has placed extreme stress on already fragile healthcare systems, which are struggling to meet the increasing demand as confirmed cases rise.
The lockdowns in urban centres are necessary to try to contain the spread and transmission of the virus, but this has contributed to further isolation of Afghan and Iraqi women and girls in particular, exacerbating their vulnerability. Reports of gender-based violence and child labour are also increasing amidst economic losses and unemployment.
Despite the challenging circumstances, our programmes have not stopped. In fact, supporting our participants is more important now than ever before.
The women and girls in our programs include some of the most vulnerable members of society, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and persons with disabilities. During this COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown measures, economic crises and other high stress conditions have increased their vulnerability, including their risk of being forced into early marriage or subjected to other forms of gender-based violence in the home.
At Free to Run, we’re responding to these needs by maintaining a critical lifeline with our participants. In many cases, our Program Officers and Coaches are the only connections these young women have outside of their families who can provide a sense of support and normalcy. While they might feel isolated from their normal lives, through our outreach, they know they aren’t alone.
To respect current health protocols and follow best practices, we have shifted to virtual programmes to continue our lifeline of support. Our Program Officers and Coaches are calling participants to share at-home workouts that they and their families can do. Free to Run staff are also doing mental health and family health check-ins.
These check-ins help to reinforce coping mechanisms that our participants learned in our programme while opening up a dialogue for any other issues participants are experiencing in their lives. To date, we’ve conducted over 80 of these virtual sessions with individual participants. For those who do not have access to a phone or the internet, we’ve started dropping off weekly activity booklets.
The connections and relationships we’ve developed with participants through our regular outdoor sports programming has helped to build up trust with our participants. This has created the necessary space to allow for real, honest conversations with young women and girls about the current challenges they’re facing, including mental health issues, issues related to COVID-19, or even violence in the home. Through this open dialogue, we’re able to respond to the needs and concerns that arise, including urgent referrals to service providers and protection actors on the ground for participants in particularly vulnerable situations.
As ever, Free to Run is not just about sports. The success of our programs is linked to the skills and competencies that participants develop, as well as the shift in attitudes achieved within themselves and in the surrounding communities. We’re certainly looking forward to getting everyone back outside for a well-needed run, but until restrictions are lifted from local authorities, we will focus on the mental health and well-being of the women and girls in Free to Run.