Disaster Preparedness & Response

Operation Mercy normally tries to plan with a theory of change. This is a like a map of how and why change is supposed to happen in a community between interventions or activities and the outcome of desired transformation.

But in 2020, plans disappeared. How and why would change come to this city? People all over the half of the city where Operation Mercy works—in addition to those around the world—were in crisis. Theory seemed to be far from our reality as we tried to respond and innovate.

Without a roadmap, we stepped towards uncertainty, chaos and brokenness. In doing so, we were given the chance to see more and go deeper into our own community: to be better informed about the needs in the city and to know who the real poor are, to connect with people and to invite them to participate in the change we want to see through our normal health and empowerment projects. We prayed for healing.

Our relief interventions have been small. But somehow this strange and terrible window of crisis and crisis response has brought us both forward and closer, even when Covid-19, at face value, has forced everything else to stop.