Uganda
Uganda’s President Museveni originally placed the country on a 14-day lockdown beginning March 30. On April 14, the border closures and lockdown controls were extended for an additional 21 days.
Concerns and Challenges
Information about prevention measures air on National TV. However, most people in rural areas don't own TVs and are unaware of the virus, how it spreads and how to prevent. This has led to some people believing the disease is linked to witchcraft.
Adaptation Measures
Biira Miriam, Chairperson of Kinyamaseke Youth in Development (KYID), has been working with two other team members to maintain the office. They developed simple, easily remembered concepts for preventing COVID-19 to pass information to members of the community.
Emergency Fund
With the money we secured for KYID through our Emergency Fund, they were able to:
Purchase washing buckets with taps
Purchase washing soap and distributed it to the members
Purchase reusable facemasks
Purchase boxes of gloves
Compiled WHO health guidelines and translated them into the local language to provide to organization and community members
Used airtime on the phone to mobilize members for distribution of the aforementioned items
Hire a van (as public and private vehicles have been banned due to the lockdown) to transport the aformentioned materials from Kasese to Kinyamaseke for distribution
Update from June 2020
The continuation of our Emergency Fund gave KYID the opportunity to distribute essential food items, including cassava flour, maize flour, and beans, and sanitary pads to vulnerable women acting as single heads of their families.
