This was the finding of recent survey carried out by the Department for Women and Social Action, the Government department responsible for overseeing the coronavirus emergency programme that has been rolled out by the Zalala Foundation over the last few months. Since the Emergency Programe was launched at the end of April, trained local volunteers have been working very hard to raise awareness and educate local communities on the dangers of coronavirus and how to protect themselves and others.
Mask and Soap distribution
Over the last 6 weeks, the members of the Sewing Groups in the 2 communities, Supinho and Idugo, have between them produced a total of 2,500 masks. Most of these have been distributed free to vulnerable families and the elderly. Over the same period, 3,400 bars of soap have been distributed to 1,278 families in the 2 communities.
Awareness-raising and information
Awareness-raising at the local is carried out door to door by our local activists. The aim is to explain the use of masks and the need for social distancing. Over a 6-week period, just under 3,500 women, men, girls and boys attended a total of 630 talks in Supinho and in Idugo, 6,300 people attended 648 talks. These were carried out using social distancing methods by members of the local Associations and by representatives of the Children’s Parliament in the 2 communities.
Recognising the power of music and song, we commissioned a local musician to produce a song about Coronavirus prevention with lyrics provided by the Idugo Girls Group (Movimento M).
The song lyrics, sung in both Portuguese and the local language are: Corona is a virus that attacks all human beings. To avoid it, you must stay at least one metre apart, you must wash your hands frequently with soap and water and avoid crowded places. If you follow these guidelines, you will stay safe and save Mozambique and all of us.
Spraying and disinfecting of entry points to communities
Another critical component of the prevention strategy is to disinfect all bicycles, motorbikes, cars and canoes as they enter or leave the communities. To this end, we provided training and equipment to a group of local volunteers. Over this period, canoes entering and leaving Idugo island have been sprayed 1,150 times. In addition, cars have been sprayed 312 times, motorbikes 633 times and bicycles 883 times.
Your ongoing support is needed!
In order to continue ensuring that the threat of coronavirus is kept at bay, we need to keep up these efforts and ensure that everyone is covered. So, we are appealing for donations to enable us to expand our coverage and to replenish the supply of soap which is the most vital ingredient needed for individual protection. Every cent or penny you give, goes directly to the communities. Just a small amount goes a long way!