Responding With Empathy: Kumustahan The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing nationwide lockdown caused severe disruptions to the country’s economic, social, political, and technological state. The Voice grantees and rightsholders were not spared. Advocacies were challenged. And the rightsholders faced further exclusion. YGOAL, in the middle of its own internal struggles, responded with empathy by conducting a Kumustahan Session ( kumusta is Filipino for “how are you?”) to assure Voice grantees and rightsholders of their support and presence, and to find out how they were affected and holding out during the pandemic. This exercise enabled YGOAL to gather crucial data on their current situation, what they are doing in both personal and organizational capacities, how they intend to weather the storm and reach out to the members of their organization and RHGs. The success of the activity and resulting database of information served as springboard for the online design of the 2020 NCOS and succeeding initiatives. When the lockdown was announced, connecting with the grantees was a main concern. The Voice Linking and Learning team used technology and online platforms to be able to find out the situation of the grantees and RHGs. They knew they could only do so much and could not expect too much when it comes to engaging the rightsholders and grantees particularly during the lockdown since one of the major issues that came up from the situation was food security. Pressuring them to join in the online
activities amidst the situation would only push them away because they were dealing with not just their organizations but their own problems at home. YGOAL knew from experience that this was not the time to push the grantees and rightsholders to accomplish what was in their contracts under the Voice grant. It was the time to test the substance of community belongingness that Voice had endeavored to establish since it began in the Philippines. So Voice and YGOAL re-strategized, shifted their modality and discussion focus and aligned and streamlined linking and learning activities with the needs and context of the grantees and rightsholders. From this exercise, they were able to gather data on how the community can move forward through the linking and learning activities.
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This is the point where we felt we are stretched as L&L facilitators. L&L should be a space that is made available to the grantees and RHGs at any point that they feel they need it. When you feel isolated because of the pandemic, the power of freedom to choose when to show and engage yourself in activities is important. And this is something we, as a team, felt should be given to the Voice community. Thus, asynchronous participation in Linking and Learning emerged because not everybody can be present at the time. Not everybody has the technology tools or good internet connection. Multiple channels had to be made available, which is easier said than done. And the activities had to be inclusive, ensuring that persons with disabilities are also considered. We also had to ensure that the materials are accessible whenever the grantees or rightsholders need or want it leading us to the establishment of the Learning Management System.”
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