In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, a group of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Bono East, Bono and Ahafo regions are set to raise US$100,000 to support vulnerable communities in the three regions.
The initiative which is expected to commence in June 2020 is dubbed “COVID-19 Vulnerable Communities Support (CVCS) Project.” The project is cushion efforts of the CSOs in managing COVID-19 to stimulate creative interventions so as to promote socioeconomic resilience within the beneficiary communities.
The CSOs in question are: Global Media Foundation; World Evangelical Alliance Business Coalition Ghana; Citizens Watch Ghana; and Indigenous Women Empowerment Network. The rest are West Africa AIDS Foundation; Indigenous Youth Alliance Ghana; Ahafo Network of NGOs; and Sunyani Municipal CSOs Platform on SDGs and Global Coalition on Infectious Diseases.
The CSOs through this project, will provide a small seed grant to community-based organizations, women and youth networks who are able to propose programmes aimed at enhancing awareness about precautionary measures, supporting vulnerable households, combating discrimination and stigmatization COVID-19 victims, and serving the needs of the most vulnerable individuals and communities.
The project will also targeted individuals and organizations deploying direct interventions and community-led mobilization to minimize the spread of the virus and build resilience in urban informal and mining affected settlements that otherwise can be difficult to reach.
The Founder/CEO of Global Media Foundation, Raphael Godlove Ahenu who disclosed this to journalists stressed the need for more results-oriented measures, targeting vulnerable communities like peri-urban areas and mining affected settlements with dense populations and poverty endemic.
Mr. Ahenu, who is also the National Coordinator of WEA Business Coalition Ghana, said the consequences of an outbreak in these communities can be devastating making the people more susceptible to job and income losses, malnutrition and deteriorating health care situation among others.
The project he said has four strategies: raise awareness, provide access to basic sanitary supplies, mitigate educational disruption and ensure community resilience. He therefore appealed to development partners and donors to support the implementation of the initiative to help minimise the negative effects of COVID-19 on the underlying communities.
He also called on individuals, corporate companies and institutions as well as churches to donate to the fund to ensure that vulnerable communities are well catered for in this COVID-19 era.
