by Agustinus Hari

The members of an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community in Manado, North Sulawesi, have joined hands to raise funds and distribute relief aid to those affected by the local COVID-19 outbreak.

"A friend told us about the condition of residents who had been hit hard by the epidemic. Some residents even asked us to buy some food for them," LGBT activist Rajawali Coco told The Jakarta Post on Sunday in Manado. So the community decided to start a fundraiser on Facebook to buy basic goods for distributing to people in need. The initiative has received positive responses, especially from friends, families and colleagues. On the first day of distribution shortly after receiving the donated funds, it delivered 10 packages of staple foods containing rice, cooking oil, canned fish, instant noodles and fresh eggs to 10 affected families.

"We are not [rich], in fact, we are also in need. However, we would like to share with those who have been affected by this difficult situation," said Coco. He recalled how the story of an elderly woman who lived alone in a shack in Pineleng, Minahasa, went viral after members of the LGBT community visited to deliver some food to her. The viral post eventually caught the eye of the North Sulawesi Social Agency, which then visited the women to deliver aid. Read more via Jakarta Post