MUTARE– A local non-governmental organisation GOAL Zimbabwe has launched an awareness campaign to promote hygiene and preventive practices in the fight against spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
In a press statement GOAL Country Director for Zimbabwe, Gabriella Prandini said the awareness programs is centered on recommended hygiene practises, social distancing practise as well as information regarding the lockdown.
In the awareness campaign launched in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, UNICEF, Irish Aid, Ecobank and Promobile, branded trucks will drive around Harare province, Mutare and Chipinge districts delivering key messages.
Prandini said these collaborative efforts were an extension of broad based grass-root awareness that they are targeting through broadcasts on two radio stations, Star FM and Radio Zimbabwe in three local languages (English, ChiShona and IsiNdebele).
The key messages are funded by the Irish Government through the Irish Aid and will be broadcast for the next month.
“Working in partnership at every every level is fundamental to helping create awareness of how to stop the spread of this virus.
“It is absolutely critical that we don’t overwhelm the health systems and that communities are informed as to how they can prevent the spread of COVID-19 before it engulfs them, ” she said.
Gabriella said the organisation will go ahead with their programming having put in place measures to ‘protect staff and to protect the community’ in areas recovering from the Cyclone Idai disaster.
She said GOAL Zimbabwe will endeavour to continue operating its Lean Season Assistance (LSA) food distribution in Mutare and Chipinge districts in partnership with World Food Program which supports over 340, 000 beneficiaries.
“We will do everything we can to maintain our programmes during this difficult time, and to support and protect communities.
“We are doing food distribution in conjunction with WFP and for those that are doing work on the ground we have provided gloves and masks, but one of the big challenge is that the people that need them the most are health workers.
“The people of Zimbabwe are trying to recover from Cyclone Idai and are also coping with ongoing drought and sky-high inflation rates. Now is our time to act with speed and courage and to be there when we are needed most,” said Prandini.
