In the face of a worldwide issue, it’s amazing to see how our global community is coming together to support each other and take action against COVID-19. Communities that are continents and oceans away from each other are working hard to help their local and global neighbors. Recently, the Pasteur Institute, a research institute in Dakar, Senegal, began working with a UK- based laboratory, Mologic, to develop test kits (Washington Post). Please see the video from BBC News below.

CREATE! Takes Action

We also want to assure our donors that our team in Senegal is taking all the preventative measures to help reduce and contain the spread of Coronavirus. “CREATE! is at the forefront of Senegal’s rural climate action and women’s empowerment movement,” Michael Carson, CREATE!‘s Executive Director states. “We are applying the same lessons that we have learned working with Senegalese communities over the past ten years to train women’s group leaders on how to take preventative measures to protect their families from contracting Coronavirus. According to the Overseas Development Institute, London (ODI), reducing community engagement reduces transmission and resistance to health providers and instills safe practices of care.”

Applying What We’ve Learned

“The situation with the Coronavirus is very difficult at the moment but as usual, we will overcome it,” Says Omar Ndiaye Seck, CREATE!‘s Country Director. As mentioned in the video below, fighting epidemic diseases is not new to the continent of Africa. “To prevent the spread of the virus, we suggested to our partner communities to stop gatherings such as the weekly mobilizations that we were doing, to work separate with distances of at least five meters, to wear masks, and that it is essential to wash hands very often and disinfect.”

senegalcovid-19Along with CREATE!‘s partner communities, the Senegal team is also taking necessary precautions. “Regarding the CREATE! team, we have temporarily reduced trips to the sites. We disinfected the office and everyone entering must wash their hands. Wearing a mask is essential and we avoid contact with other people. In such critical moments, all necessary precautions will have to be taken to fight against this virus,” Seck states.

Calling on Friend of CREATE!

CREATE!‘s team is working hard to ensure the safety of our rural partner communities as well as their own well-being. Our partner communities depend on CREATE!‘s projects to put food on the table for their families as well as earn income to develop self-sufficiency. Our work and their success are not possible without your support. If you can, please consider helping families in rural Senegal by donating today.

Coronavirus ‘rapid test kits’ to be made in Senegal – BBC News


Sources:

O’Callaghan, Sorcha. “Covid-19: Five Lessons from Ebola.” ODI, 20 Mar. 2020, www.odi.org/blogs/16779-covid-19-five-lessons-ebola

Tall, Borso, and Danielle Paquette. “A 10-Minute Coronavirus Test for $1? Researchers in Senegal Say It’s Coming.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 17 Mar. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/a-10-minute-coronavirus-test-for-1-researchers-in-senegal-say-its-coming/2020/03/17/43f82cb6-67ab-11ea-b199-3a9799c54512_story.html