Over this past week many areas in Southern Africa have experienced high winds and heavy rainfall particularly Zambia in the Kabwe and Chisamba regions have been hit very hard.
There has been significant damage caused to a number of homes within the communities we serve. In some cases, homes collapsed in the night, leaving families with nowhere to go.
With food prices increasing due to poor economies, the pandemic, and past seasons of drought, along with the impact that COVID-19 has had as a whole, people are experiencing extreme food insecurity, resulting in Care Workers being forced to make the choice between feeding their own families and serving at the Care Point.
One of our first tasks was bridging the gap between the government health authorities – who were making the decisions about which essential services could stay open and what people could or couldn’t do – and the communities that are off the map, where the needs amongst the poorest people are the highest.
Across Africa, the idea of ‘social distancing’ is foreign, as relationships and social interaction are an integral part of the culture – which can be seen in families and in the interactions of people at the local marketplace. Together, these challenges have filled our Primary Caregivers, Care Workers and children with anxiety about what tomorrow will hold and a fear of the unknown.
When the government tells you to observe social distancing and you live in a remote village in Mozambique, how can you help your community to apply the rules? 16-year-old Joseph* took it upon himself to try and find a solution to helping protect the children who attend the Care Point in Chigadole, Mozambique.
