Navajo Nation- Leading the way

As the spring of 2020 transitioned to summer and now to fall, the U.S. is bracing itself for a crippling third wave of the pandemic – all the while, the Navajo Nation has managed to avoid the second peak in #COVID_19 cases altogether. Given already challenging factors such as high numbers of Navajo families living in poverty and 30-40% of residents not having access to clean water, President Jonathan Nez took decisive actions to include weekend curfews, mandatory mask wearing, and following closely to the advice of public health experts to help slow the spread of the virus amongst his people.

@WorldVisionUSA has been shipping critical lifesaving supplies to the region since late March. Trucks leaving our Dallas, Texas and Fife, Washington Storehouse locations are loaded with hand sanitizer, soap, facemask, and shelf-stable food where Nez and his team receive and distribute the supplies to vulnerable families as quickly as they come in. 

In early November, I traveled to Window Rock, Arizona by way of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Upon enter the Navajo country, the first thing I always notice is the sheer beauty of the landscape and the people. Our mission for the visit was to work with President Nez and his team to distribute lifesaving personal protective equipment (PPE) to first responders and front-line workers of the Nation. Volunteers back at our Fife Storehouse had assembled 800 PPE kits that were loaded with hand sanitizer, bars of soap, facemasks, gloves and more. As a small token of our appreciation for the selfless work these individuals have displayed over the last 10 months, we wanted to add something nice for them to say, Thank You! The drawstring PPE kits also had socks, batteries, USB chargers and more to reward the heroes. 

In Window Rock, we joined Vice President Myron Lizer in distributing the drawstring bags PPE kits to local firefighters, EMT, correction officers, and more. Over the next hour we distributed over 100 PPE kits before we headed to a different distribution at a checkpoint in Tuba City, AZ. It was hard to imagine a more scenic drive than the one to Window Rock from New Mexico as the views were breathtaking during the windy trek to Tuba City (it butts up against the eastern edge of the Grand Canyon). Once we arrived, the local team of law enforcement and the president’s staff helped to set up a checkpoint on the highway by converging the lanes down to a stop to gather the resources that were available. President Nez arrived with a face covering on top of his #N95Mask and jumped straight into action. Each family that was traveling on that section of highway received several bottles of hand sanitizer, a 5-pack of facemask, and a 1 pager on COVID-19 prevention and care if you were to become infected. We were in that location for two hours in freezing temperatures and made sure every car had the supplies they needed to be safe – individuals receiving the items were overwhelmingly thankful for the information, gesture, and care. During the last 5 years that I have known and worked alongside President Nez and his team, I have always been struck by the way they model Servant Leadership and this visit was no different. 

We are all in this battle against this invisible enemy and sometimes just knowing that we are not in it alone makes a big difference in that moment. President Nez said, "considering the hardships and adversities that our ancestors endured and overcame, it shouldn't be difficult to stay home, wear a mask, wash your hands, and to avoid family gatherings and large crowds." This example of leadership has stuck with me over the days and weeks upon returning home from this visit; it gives me hope! We are all in this together.