Red Cross Red Crescent magazine 
So close, yet so far
Clairet Mata is in a new country raising her son on her own. She says learning how to manage her feelings has been an important way of dealing with separation from her family.
Production:
Malcolm Lucard
Videography:
Thibault Lauritzen
For Muslims, the month of Ramadan is a time for praying together, sharing meals and charity. With the arrival of COVID-19, Ramadan in 2020 has been like no other. Some mosques have hosted virtual prayers or invited people in to pray at a safe, social distance. Important meals such as suhoor (morning meal before the fast) and iftar (breaking fast at the end of the day) have been observed more carefully, under the shadow of the pandemic.
Health experts involved in the fight to stop Covid-19 say the traditional Ramadan practice of family gatherings and charity — such cooking communal meals for those in need — has posed many challenges. But in this first episode of Red Cross Red Crescent magazine’s Expert Sources, health practitioners in various parts of the Muslim world say Ramadan’s values of reflection and personal growth has also offered many unique opportunities.
Clairet Mata is in a new country raising her son on her own. She says learning how to manage her feelings has been an important way of dealing with separation from her family.
Migrants and refugees know what it means to be cut off from society, and from their loved ones and cultures far away. At a time defined by separation, let’s listen to what they have to say about coping and connecting in the age of Covid-19.
A tale of two migrants, finding their way under the looming cloud of Covid-19 in a world where they are considered ‘illegal’ – cut off from friends, family and basic social benefits.
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