Using the power of soccer to fight HIV/AIDS

The eruption of covid-19 pandemic is and still continues to be a challenge globally with many people getting infected every day and lives getting lost every minute and hours. Since the first detection of covid-19 in Kenya, its spread has been on the rise with many communities struggling with ways of curbing the virus. However, many of the communities that VAP serve which are slum areas of Nairobi, have been facing a great challenge of basic necessities which include: inadequate water supply which is very key towards preventing covid-19 virus, congestions of houses and people, inadequate soap and sanitizers, masks and other items.

It’s out of the covid-19 breakout that Vijana Amani Pamoja initiated a ‘VAP Cares,Covid-19 Response’ initiative that aims at creating awareness of covid-19 in the slum areas, targeting its youth participants and the entire communities.VAP Cares initiative has been on the frontline making a door to door community visits distributing soaps, and teaching communities on the importance of social distancing, proper hand washing of hands by using soaps, staying At Home  and  reporting to the nearest health facility in case of any symptoms of covid-19 .” Am happy to have received soap and more information of covid-19 awareness, me and my young family are going to stay at home to prevent the disease.” Said 19 year old Jacinta a young mother of 18 months old baby. As VAP Cares covid-19 campaigns continue, we would appreciate any kind of donation that would go towards supporting and spreading the awareness of covid-19 in all the slum areas of Nairobi.

As participants and their families are observing social distancing and staying at home as one of the measures of curbing the spread of covid-19, VAP has created strategies of reaching out to its participants and community at large through various platforms including: parents’ whatsapp group where basic information and any other material regarding Covid-19 will be shared including a hotline telephone number for more information and referrals. Another whatsapp group for older program participants who have access to phones will be created for a similar purpose. All the whatsapp messages will be backed up with sms texts while other information will be posted on social platforms for tech savvy participants and community members.

Creation of Animation for Team: Covid-19 vs Human

Vijana Amani Pamoja is urgently coming up with a creation of animation play that would feature team: Covid-19 Vs Human.This play will entail fun football based activities between Covid-19 (representing The Virus) vv Human team.The activities will narrate how dangerous covid-19 virus is to Human and its effects while also providing the fun based activities that football/soccer provides.The activities will be wrapped up with key covid-19 awareness messgaes to the kids/youuth who are at home to learn and understand how dangerous the virus is while also learning how to prevent the virus and its spread.VAP will work closely with various media houses who will air the program for the youth and the general communities to learn and understand the virus.For this action to take place,VAP is seeking for donations from various individuals to undertake this initiative and reach out to millions of youth and communities around Kenya via broadcasting channels.