Rotary clubs organize drive for migrants with newborns

The “Wholehearted Services for Harmonious Macau, Rotary Donation to People in Need” project was organized by Caritas Macau, the Rotary Club of Macau and the Rotary Club of Penha, Macao to provide baby formula and diapers to 26 unemployed Vietnamese and Filipino migrant worker families with newborn babies between a few days to 9 months old.
Due to the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, 10,700 non-resident workers lost their jobs between January and August, according to official statistics.
Some of them are still unable to return to their countries of origin due to the lack of flights and border restrictions. They have been left out of support measures by the SAR government, which are aimed at residents.
Some of these pregnant women and new mothers could not afford antenatal and postnatal care, or items needed for feeding their babies. Some have also shown symptoms of anxiety, malnutrition and miscarriage.
As a result, the Rotary Club of Macau and the Rotary Club of Penha, Macau contacted Caritas Macau to identify struggling families and what items they needed. The rotary clubs collaborated with the NGO because the beneficiaries of the projects were newborn babies and their mothers. This belongs to one of the Seven Areas of Focus of the Rotary, maternal and child health.
“The aim of this donation is to protect the baby’s health and wellbeing. By providing baby formula and diapers, we hope to ensure the baby’s healthy development during the early stage of their lives,” said João Pinto, president of the Rotary Club of Macau.
Earlier this month, the new president called for assistance for one of the city’s most vulnerable groups, unemployed female migrant workers who have recently given birth. LV