EMERGENCY PROJECT: COVID-19 Prevention
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In March, 2020 Stephanie reached out to Pascaline and Philippe concerning COVID-19. They had already been following the global news on the spreading pandemic with anxiety on international short-wave radio frequencies. Working through weekly meetings by WhatsApp – which required Pascaline and Philippe to travel 30 kilometers by motorcycle to reach a stable cellular signal – Esonge-USA and Essoungue-Dioula organized a coordinate approach to preventing COVID-19 from infecting villages in southeastern Cameroon, and in particular the families of Dioula.
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To support Phase 2 of Essoungue's COVID-19 Prevention Program, Esonge-USA aimed to raise $1,000 through an online fundraising event at the end of May, 2020. With an outpouring of support in the form of small donations, we surpassed this goal four-fold, and raised over $4,500. Phase 2 involved supplying masks to teachers who are returning from towns throughout Cameroon to forest villages to resume school, and supplying masks to school children who will not be able to be socially distanced from each other in the crowded classrooms. Essoungue distributed nearly 600 masks and blocks of soap for each classroom to thirteen schools throughout the region, in addition to informational flyers about COVID-19 prevention strategies. The COVID-19 prevention work is discussed in detail below, and updates are posted under the "Updates from Cameroon" tab.
Dissemination of Public Health Guidelines for COVID-19 Prevention
Using COVID-19 guidelines issued by the World Health Organization, Stephanie and Philippe have
prepared flyers to disseminate to villages throughout the region in French, Bangando, Baka, and Bakwélé. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) agreed to fund the production of the flyers as large-scale posters, with the assistance of the Ministry of Forests and Animals (MINFOF), the Lobéké National Park, and the Trinational Sangha region (TNS, the UNESCO World Heritage program that includes southeastern Cameroon). Unfortunately, as of August, 2020 these large-format posters have not been produced. Instead, the women of Essoungue traveled to Yokadouma (approximately 300 kilometers north of Dioula) and had the flyers printed in black and white and laminated. The women have distributed the flyers throughout the region to schools and village heads, along with soap and masks.
Using COVID-19 guidelines issued by the World Health Organization, Stephanie and Philippe have
prepared flyers to disseminate to villages throughout the region in French, Bangando, Baka, and Bakwélé. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) agreed to fund the production of the flyers as large-scale posters, with the assistance of the Ministry of Forests and Animals (MINFOF), the Lobéké National Park, and the Trinational Sangha region (TNS, the UNESCO World Heritage program that includes southeastern Cameroon). Unfortunately, as of August, 2020 these large-format posters have not been produced. Instead, the women of Essoungue traveled to Yokadouma (approximately 300 kilometers north of Dioula) and had the flyers printed in black and white and laminated. The women have distributed the flyers throughout the region to schools and village heads, along with soap and masks.
Informational posters about COVID-19, which were prepared, produced, and distributed by Esonge/Essoungue.
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Distribution of masks, soap, and COVID-19 information, Dioula
Working through a new method for international electronic money transfers, Esonge-USA was able to transfer $1,000 to Essoungue-Dioula, directly to a credit agency in the town of Moloundou, 30 kilometers south of Dioula. This transfer of funds to a nearby town was crucial, because Essoungue's bank account is located in Bertoua, a town that is 650 kilometers away and already infected with COVID-19.
Using the funds transferred, Essoungue-Dioula purchased the following supplies to protect the families of Dioula:
Esonge-USA translated a pattern for hand-sewing hygienic masks for women of Essoungue-Dioula to bring to a tailor in Moloundou. If only we had already purchased sewing machines for the women in Dioula, and they had been trained in sewing (this is one of Essoungue-Dioula’s first proposed projects), the women would have been able to sew masks themselves to protect their families and village.
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Under the watchful eye of Pascaline, the women of Essoungue-Dioula negotiated excellent prices for purchasing these items in bulk, and pressed the merchant of soap (the heaviest of the items by far) to transport the purchases back to Dioula. You can find Essoungue's meticulous accounting and detailed reporting on this COVID-19 Prevention Project, as well as Esonge-USA's summary of the logistics of the project, at the bottom of this page.
When the supplies arrived Dioula, the women of Essoungue gathered to assist with the distribution of soap, masks, and information.
Women of Essoungue-Dioula, receiving COVID-19 prevention supplies. (April, 2020)
Pascaline visiting a family in Dioula, explaining about COVID-19, the importance of hand-washing, and how to wear a hygienic face mask. (April, 2020)
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The women of Essoungue, together with chief Ndong Moïse and village elders, called a village meeting to discuss the virus and steps that the village would take to prevent infection. Following the meeting, Essoungue women walked through the village, carrying the soap on their heads, visiting each household to distribute the masks and soap, and to meet with each family individually to ensure that they understood the public health information concerning the virus, and what they should do to protect their family. The 250 masks that Essoungue was able to purchase in Moloundou provided enough masks for each family to have two masks: one for a potentially infected person and one for a caregiver. There is a surplus of 20 masks, which Essoungue will distribute to any families that need more than the two masks that they have received.
In addition to supplying masks, soap, and information to each of the 110 households, Essoungue-Dioula prioritized giving individual masks, soap, and food supplies to all of the elderly people in Dioula (over 65 years of age), and to three disabled villagers.
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Even as families expressed gratitude for the masks and soap and overcame their discomfort and shyness about wearing the masks, they also worried out loud that they didn’t have enough masks for their young adults and children, who tend to be the most mobile members of the village. To meet this concern, the women of Essoungue have proposed a second phase of the COVID-19 Prevention Project (see below).
Plans for Three Levels of Quarantine
After discussions and guidance offered by Esonge-USA, the women of Essoungue, together with village elders, also discussed plans for organizing three layers of quarantine. One of the main concerns is that families in Dioula live in very close intimacy, with multiple generations living and sleeping in small homes with multiple people sharing sleeping, eating, and living spaces. The risk of viral spread within families is significant. So our plan for quarantine is designed to address such concerns.
After discussions and guidance offered by Esonge-USA, the women of Essoungue, together with village elders, also discussed plans for organizing three layers of quarantine. One of the main concerns is that families in Dioula live in very close intimacy, with multiple generations living and sleeping in small homes with multiple people sharing sleeping, eating, and living spaces. The risk of viral spread within families is significant. So our plan for quarantine is designed to address such concerns.
Public school in Dioula, site of village quarantine (if necessary) until school resumes in August. Once school resumes, an alternative structure will be constructed on the far side of the large parcel allocated to Essoungue's meeting house.
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1. Quarantine of any individuals who fall sick: Sick beds (woven mats) will be spaced out within
the two-room school, which is located in a clearing safely spaced away from houses. The school is also
directly across the road from the Essoungue House, enabling the women of Essoungue to prepare food for those who fall sick and safely deliver food by passing it to care-givers, without risking infection. Individuals who feel unwell need to be encouraged and supported to enter quarantine rather than staying home, where they could easily infect family members. Each family would designate one care-giver to accompany a sick individual to the school building would enter the school to keep their families safe, with one caregiver from the family coming to assist. Essongue-Dioula will also ensure that a separate toilet pit is dug for infected patients who are quarantined at the school building, to ensure that the virus does not spread through fecal dissemination.
the two-room school, which is located in a clearing safely spaced away from houses. The school is also
directly across the road from the Essoungue House, enabling the women of Essoungue to prepare food for those who fall sick and safely deliver food by passing it to care-givers, without risking infection. Individuals who feel unwell need to be encouraged and supported to enter quarantine rather than staying home, where they could easily infect family members. Each family would designate one care-giver to accompany a sick individual to the school building would enter the school to keep their families safe, with one caregiver from the family coming to assist. Essongue-Dioula will also ensure that a separate toilet pit is dug for infected patients who are quarantined at the school building, to ensure that the virus does not spread through fecal dissemination.
2. Quarantine of elderly: Village elders have identified one household at the northern end of the village, where elderly people who are at risk of infection can live together, in isolation from potential infections. Typically, village elders live together with their large, intergenerational families, putting them at risk from spread by young adults and children who are more mobile in the village, and may then carry the virus back home to the elderly.
3. Quarantine of people arriving in the village from towns and cities outside of the region: Dioula is preparing to isolate people who arrive from other towns and cities, for two weeks in a household located at the southern end of Dioula.
Attached you will find the detailed reports summarizing progress on the COVID-19 Prevention Project.
Essoungue COVID-19 Prevention Project, Phase 1
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Esonge COVID-19 Prevention Project, Phase 1
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COVID-19 Prevention Project, Phase 2
The women of Essoungue proposed that further steps that needed to be taken: to protect families from infection when teachers return to village-based elementary schools from towns and cities such as Bertoua and Yaoundé, where COVID-19 infections are already increasing dramatically.
Essoungue-Dioula proposed to purchase soap and hygienic masks, and to include informational posters that we have already produced, to distribute to all of the schools in villages throughout southeastern Cameroon.
At the end of May, 2020, Esonge-USA held an online fundraising event to support the work of Essoungue-Dioula in preventing COVID019. We raised over four times our target goal, and expedited funding to the women of Dioula.
With this funding, a small group of women traveled to Yokadouma, a town that is approximately 300 kilometers north of their village. The women wore their masks and were vigilant in public spaces to keep physically distant from others. They purchased soap and masks, which they transported back down to the villages of the Lobéké forest region. They also printed and laminated the informational flyers that Esonge and Esoungue had produced in May, 2020.
Throughout the month of June, the women of Essoungue-Dioula traveled to each of the ten villages in the region and distributed soap, masks, and information to the directors, teachers, and children in the schools. As of early August, 2020, there have been no COVID-19 infections, that anyone knows of, in the Lobéké forest region. Please see the section "Updates from Cameroon" for a photographs and descriptions of the distribution of soap, masks, and information to village schools.
In addition to this project, targeted at preventing the spread of COVID-19 in village schools, Esonge-USA also encourages the women of Essoungue-Dioula to continue to monitor the situation regarding COVID-19 preparedness in the village, in particular to see if families feel knowledgeable and secure in their supplies of soap, masks, and how to use them. If the village feels that two masks per family is insufficient, perhaps we need to consider supporting the purchase of additional masks.
The women of Essoungue proposed that further steps that needed to be taken: to protect families from infection when teachers return to village-based elementary schools from towns and cities such as Bertoua and Yaoundé, where COVID-19 infections are already increasing dramatically.
Essoungue-Dioula proposed to purchase soap and hygienic masks, and to include informational posters that we have already produced, to distribute to all of the schools in villages throughout southeastern Cameroon.
At the end of May, 2020, Esonge-USA held an online fundraising event to support the work of Essoungue-Dioula in preventing COVID019. We raised over four times our target goal, and expedited funding to the women of Dioula.
With this funding, a small group of women traveled to Yokadouma, a town that is approximately 300 kilometers north of their village. The women wore their masks and were vigilant in public spaces to keep physically distant from others. They purchased soap and masks, which they transported back down to the villages of the Lobéké forest region. They also printed and laminated the informational flyers that Esonge and Esoungue had produced in May, 2020.
Throughout the month of June, the women of Essoungue-Dioula traveled to each of the ten villages in the region and distributed soap, masks, and information to the directors, teachers, and children in the schools. As of early August, 2020, there have been no COVID-19 infections, that anyone knows of, in the Lobéké forest region. Please see the section "Updates from Cameroon" for a photographs and descriptions of the distribution of soap, masks, and information to village schools.
In addition to this project, targeted at preventing the spread of COVID-19 in village schools, Esonge-USA also encourages the women of Essoungue-Dioula to continue to monitor the situation regarding COVID-19 preparedness in the village, in particular to see if families feel knowledgeable and secure in their supplies of soap, masks, and how to use them. If the village feels that two masks per family is insufficient, perhaps we need to consider supporting the purchase of additional masks.
The funds that Essoungue estimated that it needs for COVID-19 Prevention Project, Phase 2 is 406,555 fCFA, which is equivalent to approximately $675.00. Esonge-USA aims to raise $1,000.00 to support Phase 2, recognizing that we need to support the production of informational flyers for schools, as well as additional boxes of soap. Thank you for helping us meet this goal!
Thanks to the incredible first wave of support that Esonge-USA received over the last weekend in May, 2020, we surpassed our fundraising objectives. We raised over $4,500 to support the women of Essoungue-Dioula. The second phase of COVID-19 prevention has been fully supported, with additional funds available for further prevention measures (such as replenishing soap and masks), and for the women of Essoungue-Dioula to begin planning to embark on their other proposed projects. Additional funds are always needed in order to anticipate the potential for worsening of the COVID-19 situation, and to maintain the safety measures such as hand washing and masking. As those of us living through the COVID-19 emergency in other parts of the world have experienced, this virus is very unpredictable, and can intensify rapidly. So far, although COVID-19 has not arrived in the Lobéké forest region, the people must remain vigilant and safe. THANK YOU for continuing to support funding for the COVID-19 prevention work. We are enormously grateful!
Thanks to the incredible first wave of support that Esonge-USA received over the last weekend in May, 2020, we surpassed our fundraising objectives. We raised over $4,500 to support the women of Essoungue-Dioula. The second phase of COVID-19 prevention has been fully supported, with additional funds available for further prevention measures (such as replenishing soap and masks), and for the women of Essoungue-Dioula to begin planning to embark on their other proposed projects. Additional funds are always needed in order to anticipate the potential for worsening of the COVID-19 situation, and to maintain the safety measures such as hand washing and masking. As those of us living through the COVID-19 emergency in other parts of the world have experienced, this virus is very unpredictable, and can intensify rapidly. So far, although COVID-19 has not arrived in the Lobéké forest region, the people must remain vigilant and safe. THANK YOU for continuing to support funding for the COVID-19 prevention work. We are enormously grateful!
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