16/04/2020,
Each year, Solidari’Terre allows more than 100 students from emlyon business school and Centrale Lyon to take part in 10 International Solidarity missions called ‘MISI’. These missions are made up of teams of 10 to 15 students and take place in 9 different countries: Togo, Senegal, Madagascar, Argentina, Peru, Armenia, the Philippines, Indonesia and India.
Currently, France has been in lockdown since Tuesday, March 17, 2020, extended several times until May 11. The peak of COVID-19 cases has not yet been reached, and thousands of French are admitted to intensive care wards. In the countries where we operate, the situation is similar, with a few weeks of delay, and all the countries concerned have taken strict measures against coronavirus: border closures, containment, curfews. Populations are beginning to be largely affected.
In order to ensure the safety of the participants in the international missions as well as the safety of the local population, we have taken the decision to cancel all the international solidarity missions in May as well as those in July/August organized by Solidari’Terre emlyon business school and Solidari’Terre Centrale Lyon.
Despite this complete cancellation, which affects us greatly, we do not lose sight of our goal: to provide concrete and lasting assistance to people in need. Today, and more than ever, the communities we help each year need help in the face of this unprecedented crisis, which is why we decide to continue fundraising with the means that are still in our power, until June 30 for all of our missions. After this date, we will send the funds raised to our various partner associations so that they can help the local people as best they can.
In addition, we do not forget the members of the international missions who had enthusiastically engaged and who saw their desire to help on the ground made impossible. Solidari’Terre is committed to supporting all participants in their future endeavours.
Finally, we would like to thank the local associations that help us each year to carry out all our international solidarity projects and who help us to respond to the current situation by providing new solutions to use the funds raised during the year for the people on site under COVID-19. We obviously wish to continue each partnership in the years to come, the cancellation of our missions in no way calls into question our motivation to maintain sustainable common missions.
We also thank all of our donors, without whom our projects would not take place.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones, let us remain united and united in these difficult times. We will be sure to inform you of the progress of our projects.
The Solidari’Terre team