Coronavirus: UAE-based social worker helps community stay safe

Abu Dhabi - At home and in the office, Ashraf sticks to all safety rules.

Ashraf CP manages projects for a living, so he is used to achieving goals as part of a team. When Covid-19 struck, he knew for sure that beating it would require team work, too - one that involves everyone in the community.
So, off he went to workers' accommodations, distributing face masks and sanitisers, spreading awareness, and stressing the need to follow health guidelines. Also a social worker, Ashraf helps them cope with the challenges arising from the pandemic by giving them food and other supplies. These visits have been a regular part of his schedule.
"I have always reminded them about the need to wear face masks whenever they move outside or when at their workplace as this would help protect themselves from the virus," said Ashraf, an Indian expat who lives in Abu Dhabi.
"I also tell them to maintain proper hygiene in their accommodations, use hand sanitisers regularly and to avoid gatherings especially during their free time."
At home and in the office, Ashraf sticks to all safety rules. In fact, wearing a mask all day has become second nature to him. He has made it a habit to mask up even when he is alone at his work desk or in the car.
"I take the Covid-19 guidelines and precautionary measures very seriously wherever I am - be it at home, in the workplace, at a mall or on the streets. I know the pandemic is a killer and can attack you any time if you are not guarded," said the 45-year-old resident of Mussafah area.
Ashraf believes that strictly adhering to precautionary measures has protected him and his family from the virus.
"Everyone must wear a face mask and keep social distance whenever they are in public places. We call this self-leadership, or the responsibility we take over our own actions," he said.
"Self-leadership of citizens and residents, through adhering to Covid-19 precautionary measures, must go hand in hand with government efforts to eradicate the pandemic."
ismail@khaleejtimes.com 

• Abu Dhabi