Tuijkinge na Corona! - Our defence against Corona!

The main aim of the above-mentioned project was to broadly safeguard the Iringa district’s most vulnerable population, notably people with disabilities and/or people facing difficult socio-economic situations who were in need of an urgent preventive action intended for pre-empting the ongoing global pandemic caused by Covid-19.

Before the project's effective implementation, it was necessary to deliver several preliminary activities. On one hand, the preliminary activities encompassed the creation of previously adapted and translated COVID-19 informational and outreach materials such as flyers to be handed out to people and posters to be hanged. On the other hand, the aforementioned preparatory activities included a training course addressed to the experts forming part of the on-site work team. The training course dealt with macro themes such as the origin and the nature of Covid-19 virus, its modes of transmission, the proper behaviours to adopt, the disease’s symptoms, the related precautionary measures, the correct use of safety equipment, the rules of conduct to follow in case of infection.

Alongside the preparation activities, personal protective equipment to be distributed to the local population was purchased. The acquired personal equipment comprised disposable gloves, washable face masks, liquid soaps and hand sanitizer gels. The Tanzanian staff itself was provided with the previously outlined equipment.

As a result of the reopening of the local schools at all levels, dating back to the end of June 2020, and in accordance with a Department of Special Needs Education’s technical recommendation, IBO opted for directing its attention to the local inclusive primary schools of both urban and rural areas which were not provided with a sufficient amount of protection tools for the safeguard of students with and without disabilities.

The on-site both training activities and informational material distribution began on the 10th June 2020.

The urban area

IBO’s local work team, composed of Adam Dumam, a social worker and expert trainer, and Shakira Kiteve, an expert in disabilities, equipped with appropriate personal protection equipment, delivered 2 packs of disposable gloves (100 pieces), 6 packs of 500ml liquid soap, 4 washable face masks and 1 explanatory leaflet to each of the 40 children with disabilities and their collaborative families who take part in Nyumba Ali’s projects at its day-care centers. During the home visits, the experts informed both parents and children about the Covid-19 pandemic’s features resorting to the above-mentioned informational and outreach materials. In addition, the expert in disabilities taught them home rehabilitation exercises and cognitive activities when needed.

The total number of beneficiaries amounted to 224 people (104 M and 120 F) including 43 people with disabilities.

At the urban inclusive primary schools of Sabasaba, Mtwivila and Ipogolo, 58 reusable masks were delivered to their 29 teachers while 8 packs (128 pieces) of 500 ml liquid soap were delivered to 288 students with disabilities.

The total number of beneficiaries in schools amounted to 317 people.

The rural area

Adam Dumam, Shakira Kiteve together with Mussa Kibalabala, the project coordinator, and Yona Mwalongo, the driver, met 191 families in total, 68 at Kibaoni’s village, 67 at Kipera’s village and 56 at Isimani’s village.

Cooperating with Wilfred Mattu, the Department of Special Needs Education responsible for the rural area, and local government officials, who were remunerated on a daily basis, the experts organised collective meetings in the presence of one representative per family (15-20 people per group) around the villages. The experts informed each family about the Covid-19 pandemic’s characteristics using simple words, images and examples. In addition, they provided each family unit with 6 packs of 500ml liquid soap, 4 reusable face masks, 1 explanatory leaflet. Within these three villages which had previously been involved in other relevant IBO’s projects, 4 foot-operated hand-washing machines per village were located in highly frequented places with the aims of both preventing the spread of Covid-19 while promoting frequent handwashing and introducing a good hygiene practice to be maintained in the future. Moreover, 24 Covid-19 information posters were displayed within the villages.

764 people in total were reached by these activities.

Besides the primary schools of the three above-mentioned villages, the inclusive primary schools of Tanangozi, Kidamali and Mfyome were involved in the project too. In collaboration with Wilfred Mattu, the aforementioned work team formed by Adam Dumam, Mussa Kibalabala and Yona Mwalongo delivered a training course on the precautionary measures to adopt after the reopening of schools to 80 teachers (23 M and 57 F) of the 6 schools reached. The project team itself delivered 2 washable face masks and 2 packs of hand sanitizer to each teacher. In addition, the 6 principals were provided with 150 packs of 500ml liquid soap. The 40 students of the inclusive primary schools of Tanangozi, Kidamali and Mfyomewith were offered 2 reusable face masks and 2 packs of 500ml liquid soap per person. Moreover, each school was provided with an information poster and a 60 litres foot-operated hand-washing machine with double access to enable several students to wash their hands at the same time. The expected number of people who will benefit from the foot-operated hand-washing machines amounts to 7.600.

The overall number of students reached by these activities amounted to 4.284 (2236 M and 2048 F) while the total number of students with disabilities involved amounted to 155.

Additional activities

Furthermore, IBO provided other local organisations that deal with disabilities with the previously described protective equipment. The local organisations IBO helped were the above-mentioned Nyumba Ali association and the Shiviawata association which is composed of the disabled people's disabled representatives of Iringa.

Beneficiaries

The estimated total of beneficiaries reached by the project in its entirety amounts to 5.977 (639 inhabitants of the urban area and 5338 inhabitants of the rural area) including 656 people with disabilities.