By Foday Moriba Conteh
To scale up the support to Karene district in the fight against Covid-19, Craving 4 Development, has called on obligated groups, organizations and the Government to cater for the needs of residents if the district is to sustain its resilience and continue to record zero Covid-19 cases.
Craving 4 Development focuses its “Covid-19 Stops With Me” Campaign in Bonthe, Kailahun, Moyamba and Tonkolili saying their attention has been drawn to the fact that Karene District has 114 unofficial borders with Guinea adding how they are struggling on a daily basis to control the incoming traffic from Guinea and also to mobilize, sensitize and support their inhabitants.
It says the ECOWAS Youth Council is doing a great job in raising awareness along with other Government bodies, INGOs but expressed the need for Karene District to be reinforced with experts in the field of emergency and risk communication, safety and prevention around Covid-19.
The organization states that teenage pregnancy, Gender Based Violence, mental health, malaria, hepatitis and food security among others, are issues that must not neglected during this crisis especially when they add to the existing burdens of the health systems, vulnerable populations and low-income communities.
According to them, an assessment conducted by the District’s Social Mobilization Coordinator (DSMC), Bai Sesay, identified the immediate needs of the district stating that they are calling for the responsiveness of the various stakeholders that are engaged in the fight against Covid-19. It said these needs include:
-Communication tools and means for district social mobilization coordinators experiencing difficulty in reaching out to social mobilizers due to lack of megabytes and inadequate network coverage.
-Logistics for movement such as vehicles, motorbikes, fuel etc…
-Support for community sensitization on Covid-19 (Veronica buckets, hand soaps, hand sanitizers, face masks etc and continuous media engagements on Covid-19.
Members of the Organization expressed the view that without the requisite support, the actors on site are likely to be discouraged in their relentless efforts to bar the road to the pandemic. “This battle cannot be won without the concerted efforts and support from organizations as well as Governmental bodies, district stakeholders and actors in the field of development,” it furthered.
