As part of measures to address the challenges vulnerable communities in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions are facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the three regions are set to launch a $100,000 Covid-19 Response Project on 15th June, 2020.
The project, dubbed “COVID-19 Vulnerable Communities Support (CVCS) Project”, is to support CSOs collaborative efforts around COVID-19 and to stimulate creative interventions that promote resilience within and among vulnerable communities.
The implementing NGOs include; Global Media Foundation, World Evangelical Alliance Business Coalition Ghana, Citizens Watch Ghana, Indigenous Women Empowerment Network, West Africa AIDS Foundation, Indigenous Youth Alliance Ghana, Ahafo Network of NGOs, Sunyani Municipal CSOs Platform on SDGs and Global Coalition on Infectious Diseases.
The project is expected to “provide seed grants to community-based organizations, women and youth networks who are able to propose programs aimed at enhancing awareness about precautionary measures, supporting vulnerable households, combating discrimination and stigmatization against covid-19 victims, and serving the needs of the most vulnerable individuals and communities”, a statement signed and copied to The Chronicle in Sunyani by the CEO of Global Media Foundation, Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu said.
According to Mr Ahenu, “the project is also targeting individuals and organizations deploying direct interventions and community-led mobilization to minimize the spread of the virus and build resilience in urban informal and mining affected settlements that otherwise can be difficult to reach”.
“There is the need for effective on-the-ground prevention and rehabilitation efforts targeted at vulnerable communities in urban informal and mining affected settlements characterized by a dense population and acute poverty”, he said and added that “urban slums and mining affected settlements are pigeonholed by a dense population and acute poverty, which makes social distancing and hygiene standards difficult to practice”
Mr. Ahenu stressed that without disposable cash to hoard food and basic necessities, these vulnerable communities cannot afford to stop working.
The statement said “the consequences of an outbreak in these communities can be devastating with loss of jobs and income, malnutrition and deteriorating health, and will moreover leave entire populations vulnerable by allowing COVID-19 to spread more easily”.
STRATEGIES
The project has four strategies, raising of awareness: focus on training of the media, community health workers and volunteers, combating misinformation through information campaigns, and providing age- and literacy-appropriate COVID-19 prevention information through relevant media platforms including social media.
Providing access to basic sanitary supplies: focus on provision of hand washing equipment, clean water containers and community toilets as well as production and distribution of critical supplies like water, soap, sanitizers and personal protective equipment
Others are; mitigating educational disruption: focus on supporting parents and caregivers to encourage remote learning as well as distance learning practices including low-tech, peer-to-peer learning and gender-responsive approaches, ensuring community resilience: focus on, supporting entrepreneurs with the development of low cost-to-serve solutions that target vulnerable communities, especially affordable access to basic services
Mr Ahenu urged partners to support the implementation of the initiative and called on individuals, corporate organisations and churches to donate to ensure that vulnerable communities are well catered for in the COVID-19 era.
The post NGOs to launch $100,000 Covid-19 project for vulnerable communities appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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