As COVID-19 continues to spread globally across the five countries we work in, extended lockdowns and other government measures have severely disrupted the vital work we do with the most vulnerable children and their communities.
Without access to services that meet their needs, marginalised groups in society are suffering disproportionately. Many children now find themselves lacking a safe space to live or access to basic needs. For girls and children with disabilities, the situation is even further exacerbated.
Through our COVID-19 Response Fund we’ve been working with our partners to help provide vulnerable children with the support they need. From providing essential PPE to delivering food parcels, with your help we’re working hard to ensure no child is forgotten during COVID-19. Read on to find out more about our response in each country.
Democratic Republic of Congo
A state of emergency has been declared by the President and the borders with Angola, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda have closed. Schools have been closed since mid-March and a lockdown is now being enforced.
How are children being affected?
In the DRC we work with our local partner, Children’s Voice, to give children and young people in war-torn areas the education they deserve.
Due to the lockdown and closure of schools, many activities have had to be temporarily paused. For example, children can no longer attend the catch-up centres and are now missing out on key parts of their primary education. Sadly, this means the children and young people we work with are more vulnerable. Stuck in lockdown, they are at a greater risk of domestic abuse.
Some of our projects are able to continue in a limited capacity. For example, providing tailoring and food processing training to young women (which gives the skills they need to earn an income). This has had to adapt to follow social distancing guidelines, but they are helping their communities stay protected by producing face masks!
How are we helping during COVID-19
To keep the most vulnerable safe, we’re providing PPE to 5,000 people as well as giving additional safeguarding support to our partner and those working on the front line.
Our tailoring trainees will start making face masks
Ghana
The Government has implemented lockdowns in cities classified as ‘hot spots’, including the capital Accra, where we work. All schools have been closed indefinitely since mid-March.
Recently some of the restrictions have been eased. People are able to leave their homes and the lockdown is not as strict as in other countries.
How are children being affected?
The lockdown has had a particularly negative affect on street children, many of whom have become displaced and have had difficulty accessing food.
In Ghana, we work with our local partner Street Girls Aid. We support them to run the Young Mother’s Support Centre and two other nurseries. Because of the lockdown we have had to shut the nurseries – which looked after and provided education to young children of mothers living on the street. The nurseries provided children with three free meals a day and without this service, families are facing an extra burden. Social distancing restrictions unfortunately mean that only the mothers who are close to giving birth have been able to remain at the Support Centre.
How we’re helping during COVID-19
We’re working hard to complete the construction of the new Young Mother’s Support Centre which is bigger and can therefore house more girls whilst maintaining social distancing rules. In the meantime, through our Response Fund and local partner we are providing food supplies for 100 vulnerable pregnant women, young mothers and children who would have been able to access help at the Support Centre.
Additionally, we’re providing PPE (including soap, sanitisers and face masks) through our Response Fund as well as producing and distributing masks.
Providing emergency food parcels to those who need it most
Kenya
All schools are closed, and the Government has imposed a curfew from 7pm – 5am. Travel is now prohibited in and out of 4 affected areas – including Mombasa, where we work.
Curfews and restrictions on access to food are having a negative effect on street children who already had unreliable access to food.
How are children being affected?
In Kenya, we work with KUAP to support street children and street children with disabilities in Kisumu. Much of KUAP’s activities have been halted, such as the temporary shelter for street children which has unfortunately had to close. We are supporting KUAP to reach out to children and carry our remote counselling for the most vulnerable children by phone, but many children will miss out on the vital projects ensuring street children get the inclusive education they deserve.
We have recently began working with Glad’s House Kenya to support children and young people on the streets in Mombasa. Most activities have had to stop, including the Mobile School. While staff from Glad’s House Kenya are out on the streets everyday distributing food, this is sadly very limited, and many street children are going without the food and nutrition they need.
How we’re helping during COVID-19
Across the areas we work in, our Response Fund will provide PPE and reusable facemasks to staff and the most vulnerable. We’re also increasing our efforts to ensure that outreach teams are still on the streets daily and that children who have faced violence or abuse in lockdowns can access the support they need.
Our local partners are also providing essential food packages to 60 families of children with dysphagia, a condition which makes it hard to swallow. Solid food isn’t safe for them as it can cause choking, so it is vital that children have access to the food they need.
Continuing our vital work to reunite street children with their families
Rwanda
Schools remain closed and travel is restricted under the lockdown, which has been in place since mid-March. While parts of the lockdown have now begun to be lifted, primarily for essential businesses, schools remain closed.
How are children being affected?
In Rwanda, we work on a range of projects to support children and young people with disabilities. Children like Shema, who relied on the Early Childhood Development centre that we supported for his development, have had to return home – where they can’t access the support they need and face food shortages, putting their health at risk.
As well as immediate health risks, the longer-term development of children with disabilities who can’t attend communication camps (where Speech and Language Therapists and Occupation Therapists teach children and their families how to communicate with each other).
How we’re helping during COVID-19
We’re doing as much as we can to still meet the needs of these children and their families. Our team is working to provide telephone counselling to families of children with disabilities who would have attended the communication camps. Our Response Fund is helping to meet the immediate needs, allowing us to provide food packages to those at the greatest risk. We’re also providing PPE to frontline staff to allow outreach work to continue where possible.
We’re also collaborating with the National Early Childhood Development Programme to develop resources which can be used by parents at home, such as radio broadcasts which empower parents of children with disabilities to provide inclusive Early Childhood Development in their homes.
Supporting parents of children with disabilities remotely
Uganda
The country has introduced a strict lockdown which includes the closure of schools. Movement within the country is prohibited, including private cars and there is a curfew from 7pm to 6:30am, with these measures being enforced by the police and army.
How are children being affected?
In Uganda, we work with Passion 4 Community in Agogo to deliver education and vocational training to young people. Based in a remote area, Passion 4 Community have been badly affected by the lockdown and transport restrictions. The vocational training centre has had to close, meaning young people aren’t getting the vital support they need.
How we’re helping during COVID-19
Like in other countries, our Response Fund will allow us to provide PPE to frontline staff to ensure essential projects can continue as soon as possible. We’re also providing food to vulnerable children and their families, who are hit hardest by Uganda’s strict lockdown, including sending a 2-month food supply to over 60 rural, vulnerable families. One of our partners is also operating a mobile health clinic to provide medical services, occupational therapy and PPE.
How you can make a difference during COVID-19
COVID-19 means that the most vulnerable children are more at risk than ever before. Chance for Childhood needs your support now more than ever before to ensure that, in the future, we can support those children already left behind. There are still so many more children who need our support, together with your help we can reach them when they need it most.
You can help us by donating to our dedicated COVID-19 Response Fund by clicking here.
We’ve launched the fund to enable us to reach maximum vulnerable children and families as quickly as possible with essential goods and services to ensure they do not suffer amidst a pandemic which is already burdening vulnerable people the greatest.
Together with your help we ensure that no child is forgotten.
