By Francis Njuakom | Project Leader
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY PROGRESS
This project was initially plannedto educate 800 elders, women, disabled and people with frail health conditions on the covid-19 outbreak in Cameroon ensuring that information on this pandemic is accessible to locals in 8 poorest villages on a budget of $13,877 USD. Due to limited funds raised for the project ($4,869 USD received from Global-Giving) only part of the project was implemented. With these limited funds, implementation benefitted 715 villagers mainly elders, women, the disabled and people with frail health conditions (221 women and 94 men) and 400 school children. An initial coordination meeting was held with 8 churches representatives, 6 elderly group members, 8 women’s group members, 8 village development association representatives, 5 traditional rulers, 8 religious leaders, 3 local council representatives, 50 community volunteers, 3 CDVTA health staff and 2 representatives of health services in the area, 4 village school representatives and a development actor (African Youth Alliance Group) a development actor working in the area. The coordination meeting established a coordination and information management framework made up of these group representatives for Covid-19 prevention education in 8 villages to improve communications on COVID-19 prevention measures. A community nurse from the local health service was recruited on this project and reaches out to these targeted beneficiaries and communities in collaboration with CDVTA staff and representatives of other health services in the area, carrying out covid-19 sensitization campaigns and educating the communities on preventive rules as prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO) and the government of Cameroon. More covid-19 prevention and awareness sensitization campaigns were carried out by the community nurse and CDVTA field health workers in 4 villages. 50 community volunteers were trained on Covid-19 prevention measures and are using the skills and knowledge acquired to educate and sensitize local populations in their respective localities on these preventive measures. During community campaign sessions women, elders and people with underlying health conditions were prioritized and targeted more for sensitization and education.350 poor vulnerable women (221), elders (91) and people with frail health conditions (38) were supported with face masks and hand sanitizers for use and protection against the spread of the covid-19 virus. 400 school children (240 girls) were also sensitized and educated on covid-19 prevention measures and importance of regularly washing of hands and distancing. Installing hand washing facilities, with soap and hand sanitizers were installed in specific locations in 4 villages closer to homes of people with disability, elderly and people with serious health conditions, for these vulnerable and their families to regular wash their hands when attending meetings or visiting the village markets and prevent the spread of the virus. 4 local radio discussions held featuring information on Covid-19 prevention methods. CDVTA field staff, community volunteers and health workers continue to pay regular home visit to house ridden elders, the disabled and people with underlying health conditions to follow them up and ensure that they are using their face masks, hand sanitizers regularly and practicing social distancing when attending local meetings and visiting local markets. So far no covid-19 case has been reported in any of these communities.
CHALLENGES FACED
Due to limited funds, CDVTA was not able to implement all activities planned in this project. CDVTA has continued to appeal for more funds to this project. As soon as additional funds are acquired on this project, CDVTA will carry out remaining activities on the project. In the meantime CDVTA health workers and field extension staff continue to follow up visits in these communities to ensure that information shared and lessons learned from the project implementation are carried out by beneficiaries and stakeholders in an organized and timely fashion. The community nurse health workers and filed staff continued to face problems of transportation costs to reach some of the targeted disadvantaged communities due to the vast rough hilly nature of the terrain in the region making transport to these communities a major challenge in terms of cost and lack of 4x4 vehicles.
Long Term Impact
This covid-19 response initiative has powered volunteers, vulnerable men and women in North West Cameroon rural disadvantaged villages, to continue sharing and practicing covid-19 prevention measures with their families and community members who are strongly believed, will in turn adopt these same preventive measures to protect themselves and their family members from the spread of the virus. CDVTA hopes that information and knowledge shared on covid-19 and its prevention measures will certainly prevent conditions of increased suffering among vulnerable people, owing to lack of information on covid-19 and their inability to provide basic subsistence for their families if they contract the virus.
Monitoring and evaluation influence this project and future projects
Lessons learned from monitoring and evaluation of this project will be shared and used by CDVTA and stakeholders to improve future covid-19 prevention measures, design and activities. Such innovative lessons will equally help CDVTA and local partners to seek strategic tactical approaches on prevention for replication in new communities following WHO and government rules. Project outcomes and experiences will inspire and support more multi-stakeholder partnerships for continuous locally-led sustainable sensitization and preventive response education.
Conclusion
The project response process has innovative ideas, with good scope for expansion, adaptation, and replication elsewhere.
Appreciation
CDVTA would like to thank GlobalGiving and its dynamic Team for providing the fundraising opportunity on their crowd-fund-raising platform which raised these funds for the implementation of this project. On behalf of all the women, elders, children, people with disability and people with underlying health condition as well as CDVTA volunteers and staff team who benefitted and participated in this project, we say a BIG THANK YOU to GlobalGiving for their partnership and support.
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