Our Team Efforts to Stop

the Spread of COVID-19

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant ramifications throughout Africa and in many cases fragile health care systems are unprepared for the widespread consequences of the disease. While governments have imposed lock downs to help stem the tide, businesses and livelihoods have dwindled leaving already vulnerable individual and families financially crippled. In response to these challenges, ENA has marshalled our resources, teams and relationships to educate, protect and empower. Our mission of healing, rescuing and lifting has never been more important than it is today.

In Ethiopia, ENA partnered with the Ministry of Health and our network of healthcare providers; doctors, nurses and technicians to create an COVID-19 prevention initiative. In the isolate communities surrounding Debra Zeit, our team educated thousands on virus transmission, prevention, reduction, and treatment. Often, residents in these villages had been unable to receive much-needed information due to lack of internet, radio or television services. Our in-person intervention and training established a critical network of information for those most vulnerable to this highly infectious disease. Banners and flyers were produced and distributed. Community rallies and sensitization events were held. Loudspeakers were used to broadcast the information from moving vehicles. With our partners, we established 90 hand washing stations are strategically located at gathering places, health posts, and hospitals, allowing community members access to clean water and soap. Our partner organizations monitor and refill stations daily. The students in our vocational training program made 5,000 masks, with simple instructions for use. Our goal is to make more as demand increases. Volunteers distributed these masks to the invalid and elderly.
ENA remains committed to continuing these efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19 and protect the vulnerable communities we serve.

 

 

In Sierra Leone, we partnered with Ministry of Health at our maternal clinic. We trained our nurses to educate all patients (especially the women) on how care for and protect their families. 
Current disease and anecdotal reports indicate that 70 percent of the population in the communities we serve are now wearing masks, engaging in social distancing and hand washing.

Ethiopia Prevention Training

Local leaders and volunteers were trained to manage them.  Health care providers were given infrared thermometers to be used at local health centers to identify those with an elevated temperature and instructed to self-quarantine.

Our Vocational school worked tirelessly to sew 5000 masks to be distributed to the elderly and those unable to sew one and taught communities how to make a face mask to take back to their village and teach others.

Hand sanitizer was also distributed to local communities with supplies and a recipe on how to make an alcohol based sanitizer to be shared.  Now local leaders in villages are stepping up to help their communities and are committed to keep children and families safe.

We see people taking personal responsibility to create ways to improve their hygiene, by making and wearing a mask, making and using hand sanitizer and socially distancing.

 

 

Ghana and Sierra Leone

Prevention Training

Our COVID-19 prevention efforts have centered in Ghana and Sierra Leone. We have partnered with Ensign College of Public Heath, a world-class educational institution in Kpong, Ghana. Our health care partner prepared a baseline survey to better understand community knowledge and treatment of the Coronavirus. We have trained and deployed health care facilitators and volunteers to work in vulnerable communities gathering essential base-line information and worked diligently to create community awareness with brochures, flyers, posters, and banners.

We are grateful to report with many government and non-government interventions, community spread has been limited and government lock downs slowly easing in some places. Current disease and anecdotal reports indicate that 70 percent of the population in the communities we serve are now wearing masks, engaging in social distancing and hand washing.

 

 

The Wisdom of the Children

Children are the BEST teachers, listen as they share how to protect COVID-19 infection. 

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