Emergency response-COVID-19 among women in Uganda

Background

Hope for Children Health Foundation (HCHF) believes that Women play important roles in the rural economy as farmers, wage earners and entrepreneur and they also take responsibility for the well-being of the members of their families, including food provision and care for children and the elderly. Rural women’s unpaid work, particularly in poor households, often includes collecting wood and water. Women from indigenous and grassroots communities are often also custodians of traditional knowledge, which is key for their communities’ livelihoods, resilience and culture.

However due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Uganda their roles have been compromised and which has affected their families indirectly and directly.

Justification

After 6 months of the COVID-19 outbreak, this led Hope for Children’s health Foundation to train community members on how to stay safe and also health workers on how to collect samples from the community on suspected COVID-19 cases.

Impact

It’s on this note that Hope for children’s Health foundation realized that sensitization or creating awareness for rural women is vital in improving their health and those of their household and lives of orphan and vulnerable children such that our beneficiaries can still survive during this pandemic in the community.

We have therefore been able to reach 42 rural women and sensitized them on COVID-19 and also support training of health workers in 2 health facilities.

Challenge

• Limited funds to sensitize the community on COVID-19 especially the women.
• Limited handwashing facilities to provide the community especially soap.
• Rural women not being able to purchase masks for their own and the household.

Conclusion

Faced with this global pandemic, we are committed to the health and safety of our stakeholders, our beneficiaries, parents and caretakers and encourage them to social distance, put on masks and practice handwashing.

We thank you our donors,friends for your support.

• Report_on_response_to_COVID_19_by_Hope_for_Childrens_Health_FoundationSeptember_2020.docx (DOCX)