The COVID-19 pandemic has created great risks not just to public health but also to the social-economic well being of citizens. Fernando and Jéssica, whose names have been changed to protect their privacy, are benefiting from a UNICEF programme designed to protect some of the most vulnerable during this time. They were both convicted of crimes as teenagers but were receiving vocational development instead of incarceration before the pandemic.
Fernando’s story
With a deep voice, Fernando sounds much older than 14 when describing the difficulties brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic. With classes and cultural activities cancelled, his education has suffered.
His mother and aunt lost their incomes that kept the family of five. “We are staying at home, but we don?t have cleaning products and the means to maintain personal hygiene practices," he regrets.
To help with these needs, he is one of the people receiving hygiene and cleaning kits and food items in a program sponsored by UNICEF. They are delivered to recipients by the Secretariat of Social Development, Youth, Drugs Police and Human Development of Recife Municipality.
“Everything is essential. It will help a lot because it will give us time to reorganize and get on our feet again,” says Fernando.
Fernando receives the items through his participation in a non-incarceration program program that includes monitoring by Social Assistance Centre (Creas) Ana Vasconcelos, in Recife, northern state of Pernambuco in Brazil. He lives in an area with a high level of violence and poverty.
“The pandemic affected families? incomes and also public services for them, such as vocational and professional training and the chance to be selected for participation in Jovem Aprendiz (a federal programme that helps the youth to find a job),” explains Elvira de Freitas, who works in the Centre where Fernando is monitored.
Jéssica, pregnant with her second child, receives donations from UNICEF through an alternative non-incarceration program during COVID-17. United Nations photo: Jo?o Lucas Neto/UNICEF
Jéssica’s story
Pregnant with a second child, Jéssica, 17, is also in an alternative non-incarceration program and receives donations from UNICEF as part of her monitoring and participation with Social Assistance Centre (Creas) Ana Vasconcelos.
“My family faces many difficulties. At home we have only water and soap, we don?t have other cleaning materials, such as bleach solution and hand sanitizer. It?s hard to maintain healthy hygiene practices, the donation helped a lot,” she says.
To Elvira de Freitas, the bigger impact of the pandemic was that it has made families even more vulnerable. “We talk about prevention and care but sometimes they don?t even have water and soap." She highlights the importance of donations: “With the hygiene products and cleaning kits, we can assure that everybody has the same level of protection. These adolescents and their families now are on par with other people,” she says.
In addition to hygiene products and cleaning items, UNICEF and local partners provided access to reliable information to adolescents under non-custodial measures. In ten state capitals across Brazil, they distributed 7,000 posters with information on the coronavirus and protection against violence.
