Wash up, wash your clothes, go to the doctor. Activities that for most of us are so easily accessible to the point of routine that we have stopped seeing them as a privilege. And yet these acts are not commonplace for everyone.
In Belgrade, Serbia, an estimated 10 000 people live on the streets or in makeshift shelters, which is about five times more than in Bratislava. Homeless people in Serbia largely do not have access to sanitation or medical care as they do not have health insurance. This situation has been exacerbated by the advent of the covid-19 pandemic, where good hygiene habits and medical care literally save health and lives. Together with partner ADRA Serbia we have decided to direct our help towards making these essential services available to people who have been made homeless by life circumstances. You can read more about what our work in Serbia looks like in the following lines.
DRUMODOM, HELPER ON WHEELS
Drumodom. The specially adapted bus with showers, toilet, medical examination rooms and barber services is well known in Belgrade. The general public knows it from several TV reports and articles. But what we are particularly pleased about is that more and more homeless people are learning about it and proactively and regularly seek out Drumodom in Belgrade. People in need can shower, shave, use the toilet here. Clean clothes donated by local residents, companies or organizations are also ready.
The advantage of Drumodom is that it can bring help directly to those who need it. Homeless people thus have easier and regular access to decent sanitation.
EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO HEALTHCARE
In addition to hygiene services, our partner ADRA Serbia also provides health care assistance. Two on-the-ground medical teams seek out homeless people and offer them the opportunity for a general examination and consultation on the specific health problems they are currently experiencing. Special attention is paid to the symptoms of covid-19 and if a disease is suspected, the ADRA team will help arrange testing.
Homeless people also often suffer from chronic or other illnesses that require specialised testing and long-term treatment. As they largely lack health insurance and the necessary documentation, examination in state health facilities is not an option. ADRA's medical team accompanies chronically ill homeless people to private clinics to arrange the necessary examinations. Regular medication is then essential to improve health and sometimes save lives.
The number of homeless people seeking this form of assistance from ADRA in Belgrade is steadily increasing. If you would also like to help together with us, you can do so by making a purchase in our HELPshop. You can save the health or even the life of a particular person with a cardiovascular disease, diabetes, skin problem or infection.
LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE AID
But no aid is complete without the basic tool of humanitarian work - conversation. Our social workers listen to homeless people, give advice, talk. But most of all, they will help them to arrange personal and medical documentation so that they will be independent and not dependent on ADRA's help to solve their health problems in the future.
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In Serbia, we help people in need together with ADRA Serbia thanks to the support of USAID Serbia a SlovakAid within the project Hygiene, Disease Prevention and Healthcare for Homeless People in Belgrade during COVID-19.
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