Our emergency coronavirus appeal has raised over £17,000 and we are overwhelmed by the generosity of our supporters. Thank you so much!
Given the incredible response to our appeal, we have been able to pay grants covering the wages and medical supplies to which we are committed for the next four months so that all our life-changing projects in Africa can continue. This includes paying teachers' and outreach workers' salaries, providing food for our special needs schools and medication for the epilepsy programmes.
Coronavirus has brought hardship to people all over the world and in many parts of rural Africa it has exacerbated pre-existing poverty. In Uganda and Malawi, rainfall was low last year, causing this year’s harvests to be poor. Lockdown has seen inflated food prices, alongside many families losing their source of income. Restrictions have also made it difficult for people to travel to markets to buy food, or to hospitals for medical treatments. Kyaninga Child Development Centre (KCDC) reports that 25% of the children with disabilities they treat at their rehabilitation centres suffer from malnutrition even in normal circumstances. The impact of lockdown on low income families in a country with no social security has the potential to be devastating.
KCDC and the Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation (RSNF) have been distributing food to families in remote villages during lockdown, as we report below. Using some of the funds raised through our coronavirus appeal, Accomplish provided a grant for food for over 200 families.
Accomplish has been working with RSNF for several years to provide agricultural equipment to families, most of whom have been able to grow enough food to sustain themselves through lockdown. What’s more, these families have donated food to 20 additional households.