By Alka Subramanian | Executive Director
We would like to wish all moms a Happy Mother’s Day. Here is an update from the field regarding our "Safe Park" program.
Cholera Outbreak in Zambia: Zambia went through a cholera outbreak beginning in October 2017. The impact was severe in Lusaka and especially in our community of Matero and the surrounding communities due to contaminated water supplies, contaminated food, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene practices in these areas. In December 2017, the Ministry of Health stepped in to take measures to control and prevent the spread of cholera. Schools were closed till January end and meetings of more than 2-3 people were not allowed. The government banned food venders selling on the streets. The military was called in to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of cholera and about 1.3 million people were vaccinated by late January.
Our Response: Since late January, we added discussions on educating children about the dangers and prevention of infectious diseases such as cholera, and the importance of good hygiene to prevent ill-health and disease. Discussions with older children ranged from poor hygiene, to ring worms, rashes, sores, diarrhea and vomiting. With younger children discussions were around the importance of basic hygiene such as washing hands, clothes, bathing frequently. At present, the cholera outbreak is under control.
"Safe Park" ongoing activities include educational games, discussions and workshops regarding basic hygiene, STD’s, HIV, malaria and help with school work. These activities empower the child to cope with their difficult circumstances and help family members take better care of their orphans and vulnerable children.
Thanks for your love and caring for orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia.
Links:
By Alka Subramanian | Executive Director
By Alka Subramanian | Executive Director
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser