COVID-19 RAPID RESPONSE:
BUILD
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Prior to lockdown, communities identified their key challenges as being: first, myths and misunderstandings around the virus. Ubunye addressed this through our wellness programme, initiating Q&A sessions with both Ubunye and Kwandwe staff, providing them with accurate information and clear infection control measures to protect themselves and their families. Developing them as ‘knowledge ambassadors’ all these staff are able to disseminate correct messages through their work and community relationships.
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Next challenge was limited access to water supplies meaning infection control using soap and water was difficult. In partnership with Rhodes University Chemistry and Pharmacy Departments who manufactured WHO standard sanitizer with ingredients supplied by Ubunye with donor funds, Ubunye has mobilised savings and livelihoods groups in an on-going distribution of both sanitiser and accurate health messages about infection control to programme communities.
As the lock down phases continue and in preparation for COVID-19 taking hold in South Africa, key community concerns and issues will be addressed within a flexible 3-phase intervention strategy. This strategy is responsive to the situation in communities as they grapple with a constantly evolving circumstances.
Ubunye Foundation has been fast in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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As the lockdown phases have changed, Ubunye has remained
a constant and supportive presence in the communities in which we work.
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Right at the beginning, even before any lockdown, communities identified their key challenges with COVID-19 as being the myths and misunderstandings around the virus. Ubunye addressed this through our wellness programme, initiating Q&A sessions with both Ubunye and Kwandwe staff, providing them with accurate information and clear infection control measures to protect themselves and their families. Developing them as ‘knowledge ambassadors’ all these staff are able to disseminate correct messages through their work and community relationships.
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The next challenge faced by communities was limited access to water supplies meaning infection control measures like using soap and water to wash hands was difficult. In partnership with Rhodes University Chemistry and Pharmacy Departments who manufactured WHO standard sanitizer with ingredients supplied by Ubunye with donor funds, Ubunye mobilised savings and livelihoods groups in an on-going distribution of both sanitiser and accurate health messages about infection control to programme communities.
As the lock down phases continue key community concerns and issues are addressed within a flexible 3-phase intervention strategy. This strategy responds quickly to the rapidly changing situation in communities as they grapple with new and different challenges.
Communities shaping their own futures, with help from partners.
Our COVID-19 Response Strategy
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The strategy, based on community-led feedback and requests and on partnerships with other agencies (Department of Health, Social Development and other key NGOs) focusses on quick responses to ensuring food, water and health and illness support to vulnerable communities.
Ubunye follows a 3-phase set of interventions (REACT, ADAPT and BUILD) through an existing network of community partners including ECD centres’ practitioners and parent body members, savings and livelihoods groups and Community Health Workers.
Phase 1:
REACT
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REACT focuses on relieving acute food insecurity of vulnerable individuals, monitoring, reporting and facilitating solutions to water outages and maintaining access to medications by those who are chronically ill, distribution of sanitizer and maintaining COVID- 19 updates and infection control messages.
Phase 2:
ADAPT
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ADAPT focuses on supporting women’s enterprise groups to change to production of face masks, piggy-backing on distribution of food relief to local communities with these face masks, sanitizer and fun-learn materials for kids by a local person promoting accurate information on COVID-19 and infection control measures and continuing support for clinic outreach to enable those with chronic illnesses to maintain access to care and treatment
Phase 3:
BUILD
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BUILD focuses on recovery of rural economy and ECD, primary and secondary education and access to quality health care based on an assessment of the existing resources and potential services and business opportunities. The plan (and Ubunye’s response) remains flexible in content and timing because conditions and challenges are changing on a daily basis but the central themes of ensuring community access to food, water and health care will remain.
React
Community Networking
Ubunye has set up a phone and Whatsapp network of programme community partners and community leaders in the Ngqushwa Municipality. Through this network we find out the challenges communities are facing and send out accurate and up-to-date information on COVID-19 and infection control.
Community-led
Accurate
Effective
Through our community network, Ubunye has been guided in their response to needs in the community.
React
From April - June 2020
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1843
Food Relief Boxes
received by families
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3276
Masks
received by communities
980
Fun-Learn Materials
given to children every month
1389
Sanitizer bottles
received by communities
People seen at
Clinic Outreach
Household visits mentoring CHWs
People followed up
for HIV, TB treatment
Adapt
Community Health Care
Ubunye Health Team has continued to provide support to the Department of Health clinics by ensuring treatment and care services reach isolated communities living at distance from the clinic.
Total March- September 2020
Build
TOWER VEGETABLE GARDENS for local food security
of 45
Growing Tower Veg Gardens
ECD CENTRES
providing vegetables
to the children
of 168
Growing Tower Veg Gardens
SAVINGS GROUP MEMBERS
Selling surplus vegetables
“Thank you for all the support and motivation you have given us during this lockdown.
We appreciate everything”
- Card dated 4 September 2020, Ngqushwa Municipality
OUR PARTNERS
OUR DONORS
