By Anna Pagel | Development Associate
At the end of May, police took to the streets of Sierra Leone with megaphones to announce that from the 1st June it would be compulsory for all citizens to wear face masks when out in public. Failure to comply would carry a 6-month jail sentence or a substantial fine.
Felicia* is one of the many people who could not afford to buy a mask. With trading hours restricted by curfews, most of her earnings were spent on providing for her new-born son and what was left over she used to buy a small amount of food for herself. There was no money to spare.
Felicia went out without a mask to sell her goods and was caught by a police officer. AdvocAid’s Programme Manager, Julie was alerted to the situation. When Julie arrived, she met Felicia pleading with the officer, “Officer, I beg you... I cannot buy a mask. If I do, I won’t have money for food. My body will struggle to feed my poor suckling baby”. Julie managed to mediate for Felicia’s immediate release and provided her with a mask to prevent her being arrested again in the future.
During the COVID-19 health crisis, AdvocAid has been working hard to support women both in and out of detention facilities to help minimise their risks of contracting COVID-19 and slow the spread of the virus. A part of this is intervening in petty offences cases to prevent women being detained and adding to high levels of overcrowding in detention centres.
We are able to continue this work thanks to your generous donations. On behalf of all the women we work with, thank you.
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