Expanding our concept of community

Michael Messenger visits livelihood projects in Kachin State, Myanmar, during his last international trip in November 2019. WORLD VISION CANADA

Hidden heroes inspire World Vision’s fight against COVID-19 and hunger in areas of need around the world

While Canadians are understandably focused on the impact of COVID-19 here at home, Michael Messenger, president and CEO of World Vision Canada (WVC), is asking all of us to think beyond our borders and expand our concept of community to include the world’s toughest places.

“What’s critical to remember is the health of Canadians is linked to the health of people in other countries. To fight COVID-19, we have to have a global response: our well-being depends on the well-being of children and families everywhere, so doing whatever we can do to improve their health and break the cycle of the coronavirus is not only the right thing to do, it is also in our self-interest as a country,” he says.

World Vision is currently leading the largest humanitarian response in its 70-year history to curb the impact of COVID-19 by reaching 72 million of the most at-risk people – half of them children – in over 70 countries.
Mr. Messenger says Canadians’ own experiences with COVID-19 helps them to understand better than ever what it means to be faced with a crisis and to recognize the challenges facing communities in parts of the world where underequipped health systems and social safety nets can become overwhelmed.

“By expanding our concept of family and community beyond our borders, we recognize that a child in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Afghanistan or Bangladesh is part of our community as well,” he says, adding Canadians have a history of caring about the most vulnerable people in the world, and given the opportunity to make the connection, they respond.

Mr. Messenger says COVID-19 can be compared to an earthquake – it is the aftershocks that could do the most damage. With developing countries dedicating limited resources to stop COVID-19, basic health-care initiatives could become secondary, he warns.

“We’re worried children aren’t going to get access to vaccinations and regular checkups, and prenatal care will suffer,” he says, noting the progress made over decades to improve access to water, education, child protection, health, livelihood and food security could be jeopardized.

To fight the pandemic, the NGO is taking advantage of its global presence, established community relationships and built-in flexibility to pivot quickly, reallocate funding and scale up fast, says Mr. Messenger.
Work on the front lines comes with risk, he says, but the aid agency is doing all it can to keep its staff safe, noting the implementation of rigorous protocols, supplying personal protective equipment and the creative use of technology.

Mr. Messenger says during the pandemic he has been heartened by many hidden heroes stories encountered at home and abroad.

World Vision Canada has launched a video series featuring local heroes including Neil Hetherington, CEO of Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank. In addition are efforts to recognize corporate partners like Sahar Saidi, founder and CEO of LUS Brands, who generously gave a $20,000 gift to give back and support WVC’s global COVID-19 response efforts, while fulfilling a sense of duty.

“These are local heroes who share a common interest ‘glocally’ – locally and globally. Our goal is to stand together. We are stronger together. And together we want to ensure we continue our fight against COVID-19 and hunger in areas of need around the world,” says Mr. Messenger.

He also points to hidden heroes abroad like Canadian-born Anne-Marie Connor, national director, World Vision Democratic Republic of the Congo, who turned down the opportunity to return to her hometown Sarnia, Ontario, and chose instead to stay and continue to lead the aid agency’s team in Kinshasa.
“While all our offices, here at home and around the world, are affected, we can make connections and understand the pain and challenges people are going through. I think it will be a wonderful testament to our country if we recognize that together we can make a difference at home and extend our arms to embrace a broader community outside our borders,” says Mr. Messenger.

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