Not just numbers -C19 Memorial Remembers Those Lost to the Pandemic

C19Memorial has officially launched their website commemorating lives lost to the COVID-19 today (16 Sept). The website has 18 pages of stories at launch.

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The developers announced the launch of the digital memorial earlier this morning on Facebook, citing the spirit of Malaysia day.

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We choose Sept 16 as today is the day we come together as Malaysians. It shows we are in this together — for the good times, and each time we lose a loved one in this pandemic.

22,000 Deaths And Counting

At press time, the accumulated COVID-19 death toll stands at 22,009. The total confirmed cases is more than 2 million with almost 1 million active cases.

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Not just numbers -c19 memorial remembers those lost to the pandemic | weirdkaya — Banner from C19memorial

The team started collecting memorial submissions since August 31. On its live date, the website has 349 memorial created, each containing photographs and memories of COVID-19 victims.

Aidila Razak, a Malaysiakini journalist was one of the website’s founder.

“When we hit 10,000 deaths, I really felt like someone had to do something,”

Razak was part of a team that reported COVID-19 statistics. She believed there was a need to humanise these numbers.

“The Ministry of Health would give details of each death. How old they were, how long they were in hospitals, it’s quite basic and dry. But when you log it every day, it really changes your life.”
From Southeast Asia Globe

Strangers Unite For Malaysians

The initiative was kicked off when journalist Aidila Razak called out for collaborators to work on the project.

On August 6, Aidila Razak voiced her idea on Twitter, inviting Malaysians nationwide to collaborate and work on this website.

CALL-OUT FOR COLLABORATION:

Friends, w >10K Covid-19 deaths, I feel it’s time we record as many of them in an online memorial site. They’re sisters, mums, brothers, dads, son, daughters, friends, dearly loved individuals. Not just numbers.

Any web designer keen to collab?
— Aidila Razak (@aidilarazak) August 6, 2021

Volunteers from various fields answered her call. The first online discussion was held four days after the original tweet, on August 10.

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Dyslexic friendly design of c19 memorial website — Snapshot from Twitter

Additionally, the team cooperated with Bolehspace, a disability rights group to ensure accessibility.

C19Memorial is accessible to those with visual impairments. It caters to individual with dyslexia and colour blindness.

We Will Accept Tributes Indefinitely

The public can create a memorial for their loved ones on the website via a submission form.

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In addition, C19Memorial has designated the 19th of each month as a day of remembrance. A story will be selected to feature across their social media accounts.

Malaysians are welcome to share stories of their loved ones with the hashtag #c19memorialmy.

We hope the memorial is a contribution towards eternal remembrance of the lives lost to the Covid-19 pandemic, so each person is not a number but a loving memory.

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