In Russia, the newspaper Novaya Gazeta called NGOs and volunteers to action and developed a rapid response system to deal with the new reality imposed by the pandemic. Using a variety of strategies and initiatives, they have proven to be more efficient than the Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Relief.  Russian NGOs like “House with a lighthouse” and “Old age in joy” provide assistance to the most vulnerable population – old people and children from boarding schools. Due to a shortage in staff care, they recruited a network of volunteers to help in nursing homes and orphanages across the country, promoting a positive change in the outdated and precarious system of assistance to vulnerable population, especially the boarding schools. The organisations are capable of reacting quickly and efficiently, helping children in orphanages to find new homes, specially the one with special needs (tracheostomy, gastrostomy, or disabilities). The organisations are also transferring children from boarding schools to families or to apartments for temporary residence till the end of quarantine. In these times of hardship, the work of the non-profit organisations is essential. They are now becoming the leading experts in organizing national assistance to the most vulnerable population during the pandemic.

Learn more about this initiative in:

https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2020/04/15/84907-peredovye-lyudi