The pandemic is tightening its grip on many parts of Africa, and we fear it will be devastating to people’s health and welfare. For this reason, Network for Africa has a simple new project training our clients to start their own vegetable gardens. For £17.00 or $23.23 we can provide seeds and prepare a family to grow their own food. We aim to support 250 families in Northern Uganda, meaning they can obey lockdown and curfew orders, while having enough to eat.
An added benefit is that our clients dealing with depression, anxiety, epilepsy or mental illness will find a fulfilling direction for their energy, improving their status within their family and the community.
Why are we only now learning about the scale of Covid-19 in Africa?
There has been little in the media about the impact of Covid in Africa because health systems in many places lack the resources to accurately record cause of death. There is also a desperate shortage of vaccines, with only 4% of Africans having received a first jab so far. Western countries fought each other to bid for vaccines, forcing up the cost. In addition, our mainstream media is not always at its best when reporting African news stories.
Thankfully, the countries where we have projects reacted swiftly to the pandemic, locking down their populations and running public education campaigns about mask wearing and hand washing. However, stopping people leaving home or social distancing has unintended consequences in an economy where many people depend on working day by day in a field or a road side market or on a construction site or domestic work. A by-product of the pandemic is food shortages, and many of our clients live hand-to-mouth at the best of times. In addition, people taking epilepsy medication, AIDs treatment or anti-psychotic drugs need to eat regularly.
A Simple Project That Achieves So Much More
Our project achieves several goals: it will help provide a regular source of healthy food for 250 families; there may even produce extra food which can be sold, adding income to hard-pressed families; and doing dignified, productive work is part of the journey to recovery for people who have had mental health issues.
Apart from providing training and seeds and beans, we will also supply soap and hand washing facilities. Our aim is to raise a total of £6,600 or $9,022. We hope you agree this is a practical response to the difficult times lying ahead for many in Africa. To support this initiative, please go to: http://www.network4africa.org/donate