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PAMOJA SIERRA LEONE AND ITS MEMBERS ACTIVE IN DECISION-MAKING AND AWARENESS-RAISING ACTIONS IN BO AND KENEMA

After facing the severe Ebola epidemic in 2014, Sierra Leone still has to fight against the COVID-19 that is raging around the world. As of June 30, 1,450 confirmed cases, 60 deaths and 961 cured patients have been reported by the authorities. As its contribution to controlling the spread of the virus, Pamoja Sierra Leone and its members have participated in strategic meetings and are carrying out awareness-raising actions in the country.

Pamoja Sierra Leone response to CoVID-19 in Bo District

The coordinator of Pamoja Sierra Leone (Mr. Melvin B. Kowa) and other members of the staff attend the weekly social mobilization meetings of the Bo District Health Management Team (DHMT) and the NGO Coordination for the Covid-19 Response Bo District (DICOVERC). Key issues including prevention strategies, resource mobilization and fund raising, community education activities, contact tracing efforts, challenges and way forward among others are discussed. In collaboration with these partners, Pamoja Sierra Leone has contributed to a massive community sensitization and education in all the 16 chiefdoms of Bo district on especially issues relating to Covid-19 transmission, signs and symptoms, its prevention and importance of lockdown. Additionally, rumours, myths/misinformation that challenge the containment of the disease are discussed with the community people. During these sessions, IEC materials prepared by the Ministry of Health are distributed to participants.

Pamoja Partners and APT/EU response to COVID-19 in Kenema district

Five (5) Pamoja SL members secured a small grant from the European Union through Action on Poverty (APT/EU) for a prompt response to the Covid-19 prevention in all the nine (9) chiefdoms in which these organizations operate in Kenema district. APT works with these CSOs in the areas of Functional Adult literacy, apprenticeship, capacity building of Chief brand officers (CBOs) and sensitization of duty bearers for peace and justice promotion. The overall objective of this initiative is to disseminate messages on the prevention and control of COVID-19 in rural areas of the Kenema district. Several activities are being carried out, including:

• Preparation and dissemination of messages using local language and graphics for illiterate community members;

• Distribution of communication/awareness materials (megaphone, T-shirts, leaflets/posters, etc.);

• Purchasing and distribution of Sanitation items (tap bucket, hand soap, stool and waste bucket…) to 180 education/literacy centers;

• Training of volunteers and dissemination of information to community members;
• etc.

The implementation of these actions will allow the country to considerably limit cases of contagion to COVID-19.