By Amin Kef Sesay
On the 28th July 2020 the European Union and Ireland came together to launch “TeamEurope” to help fight the spread and impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Sierra Leone. Dr. Francis M. Kaikai, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Ms Mary O’Neil, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Ireland, Ms Jamila El-Assaidi, Deputy Head of European Union Delegation officially launch the Team Europe CSOs initiative in the presence of partner NGO representatives Concern Worldwide, Trócaire, GOAL, Advocacy and Development Sierra Leone (AAD-SL), Kambia District Development and Rehabilitation Organisation (KADDRO) and Social Enterprise Development Sierra Leone (SEND).
During the launch it was stated that Sierra Leone continues to record COVID-19 cases across all 16 districts. The challenge presented to the health system is also having multiple impacts on socioeconomic sectors including livelihoods and food security. In a bid to support and strengthen Sierra Leone’s response to the virus and mitigate its compounding impact on the most vulnerable communities, the European Union and Ireland have combined resources and mobilised approximately 1.5 million EUR (or 16.5 billion Le.) to support decentralised COVID-19 response in Sierra Leone.
Through two coordinated interventions, this response will be delivered in partnership with CSOs across 11 of Sierra Leone’s 16 districts: Bombali, Bonthe, Falaba, Kambia, Karene, Kenema, Koinadugu, Moyamba, Port Loko, Tonkolili, and Western Area Urban, reaching an estimated 400,000 individuals.
The EU intervention – #EUStandsWithSalone – is implemented by a coalition of NGOs and Local Authorities led by Trócaire, the official overseas development and aid agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland. It focuses on empowering local actors in Falaba and Karene districts to coordinate and strengthen district-level response interventions. It will be implemented in partnership with Action for Advocacy and Development Sierra Leone (AAD-SL) and Kambia District Development and Rehabilitation Organisation (KADDRO), and in close association with the district councils and District Coronavirus Emergency Response Centres (DICOVERCs) of Falaba and Karene districts.
The intervention will involve operational support to the districts; distribution of locally-produced hygiene materials; awareness raising and information-sharing on support services, support to people in quarantine as well as the most vulnerable post-quarantine households.
The second intervention is a joint Irish agency intervention funded by Irish Aid and implemented by a consortium of Irish headquartered NGOs led by Concern Worldwide – the other members of the consortium are GOAL and Trócaire. The intervention will support the national COVID-19 strategy and response efforts in both urban and rural communities and will be implemented in partnership with the local NGOs AAD-SL, KADDRO, and Social Enterprise Development Sierra Leone (SEND). It will focus on both immediate and longer-term impacts of COVID-19:
- Communities’ own efforts to prevent/reduce the transmission of the virus will be assisted with information and training in infection, prevention & control (IPC) and the provision of hand-washing and other essential items. The consortium will also support the Government’s own ongoing communications and messaging on COVID-19.
- Assistance will be provided to quarantine facilities, Community Care Centres, and other district level structures to help them provide effective services.
- The project will support vulnerable communities address other longer-term impacts of COVID-19 and emergency situations such as seasonal flash flooding. Using a flexible adaptive approach, consortium members plan to implement food security and livelihood protection interventions, work to counter the rising levels of gender based violence, among other measures to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the food, health, and income security of vulnerable populations.
By bringing together the Government of Sierra Leone, the European Union, the Irish Embassy, Irish and Sierra Leonean NGOs and district authorities, the Team Europe initiative is fully committed to supporting Sierra Leone in the fight against the pandemic and its consequences on the most vulnerable communities throughout the country.
