COVID-19 Awareness Outreach at Facado Orphanage, New Karu, Nasarawa State

COVID-19 has brought severe hardship to the teeming population of Nigeria, most especially the vulnerable and less privileged in our communities go hungry, starvation coupled with government lockdown and stay at home order. The price of food items have doubled just few days after the directive of the government for people to stay at home In order to mitigate the spread COVID-19. At this challenging time, community engagement through awareness creation is imperative to keep the vulnerable and orphanage homes abreast with ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

In a swift response to current reality, SI4DEV launched a rapid response palliative intervention across different communities in Nigeria to cushion the effect of COVI9-19 pandemic. New Karu community is one of the key benefiting community of SI4DEV palliative intervention.

On the 15th April, 2020, SI4DEV launched COVID-19 action awareness outreach at New Karu community of Nasarawa State, led by David Arome and supported by volunteers in person of Ashley David and David Daniel with Facado Orphanage home as host site of the outreach.

The focus of the outreach is to create awareness on COVID-19 preventing measures using portals and infographics from WHO and NCDC, provision of food items and other relief materials to the vulnerable and less priviledged in the community.

Fifteen vulnerable and less privileged people in critical needs coupled with the orphanage home received food items  such as rice, beans, vegetable oils, noodles, spagheti satchel Milo and milk, face mask, hand sanitazer, liquid soap as well as the WASH station presented to the orphanage home.

They were practical session as the beneficiaries were taught safety preventive measures against COVID-19, how to use the face mask, hand sanitazer and the WASH station. The beneficiaries were also enjoined to be good ambassador in their community in further sensitizing members of the community on COVID-19 preventive measures.

The head of the orphanage home, in her remarks, expressed profound gratitude to SI4DEV for coming to their rescue as this critical time. According to her, SI4DEV COVID-19 awareness outreach was the very first in the community.

She further stressed the importance of the awareness in keeping the community up to speed with COVID-19 safety preventive measures to mitigate it spread.

Without a shadow of doubt, the quick palliative response have brought a big relief that has stabilised this group of people and equipped them to be proactive in observing and practicing the preventive measure to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the community and beyond.