By Katelyn Panzarella | Coms, Data, Events & Resource Mobilization Manager
Due to the funds acquired by Moya in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were able to act swiftly to ensure those in Lobamba Lomdzala who need food the most, were able to receive support.
Being a community-based organization with a variety of programs happening in the community, as well as having representatives on the ground, we were easily able to identify the children and families who would benefit most from a parcel. In reality, most children who take part in our programs fit the description of an orphaned or vulnerable child, and so our distribution impacted many homesteads, and most children from our programming. But this initiative was more than just establishing drop-off points where children and their parents would receive food- it was a full-on community engagement, and was done so in a way that complies with all rules and regulations put in place to flatten the curve of Covid-19 cases.
The distribution took about two weeks, and included two phases. Yet all engagements included receiving a food parcel, mask and sanitizer as well as valuable education on masks, proper hygiene, including tippy-tap making (and material distribution for those who promise to build and will be followed-up on, and why working on a garden while out of school was so important, including the distribution of seedlings as well.
Phase 1 was focused on the Healthy Proactive Living program, and took place within communities. Distribution points were set up in places where Moya Youth Clubs and Kids Clubs usually meet. These spaces are large enough to allow people to gather in small groups and go to each station. There was no concern about transport, as all beneficiaries for that day live within walking distance of that site. Youth Clubs and Kids Club members, along with Moya Caregivers, Youth Leaders and some community partners were beneficiaries of this initial phase.
Phase 2 took place at Moya Centre, and therefore required more logistics. Since the property is so large, we were able to set up two distribution points on either side of the premises and scheduled ten children/youth to arrive each hour at each point (20 kids served I total per hour). This phase also had all of the stations mentioned above, but came seconds as more scheduling and time management needed to be considered, and so planning was done by a few staff members back in the office while the first distribution took place.
It is clear that otehr funding sources have been used for this inititiave, and we have even done distributions in 3 months at this point. We were only able to raise about 5.5% of our goal through this platform, but it has made a difference. Because of the funds raised through GlobalGiving, 14 children and their families- up to 140 individuals- not only were fed for a month, but received the full engagement described above.
The impact of this pandemic is still felt strongly throughout our communities, and so we will continue to have this type of engagement within our communities until our beneficiaries recover financially and are back on their feet, and we assume that will be, at minimum, until the end of 2020 that this support will be needed. We wil keep this project going as long as needed, and only hope our support network will help up in such an uncertain and difficult time, so keep providing such a unique and necessary service to deserving people who desperately need it.
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