Covid 19 Stand

Bay of Hope cognizant of the rapid spread of the Corona Virus (Covid 19) that has caused a global lockdown and led to tens of thousands of deaths. As of today, 29th January 2021, Uganda has 39424 confirmed cases of Corona virus Patients, 14,114 recoveries and 318 deaths while Globally, there are over 100 million confirmed cases and over 2.18 deaths and still counting.
Bay of Hope, like everyone else, has been affected by the Corona Virus pandemic. The nationwide lockdown has had adverse effect on our work across Uganda where we have a number of community empowering interventions.

Current Government Interventions:
Bay of Hope wishes to applaud the Government of Uganda for the radical yet necessary preventive measures that have been taken to contain the spread of the Pandemic, these include; among others;
1. Identification and placement of high -risk persons under self-quarantine.
2. Closure and/or regulation of Entry and Exit points of Uganda.
3. Closure or partial closure; and enforcement Ministry of Health Standard Operating Procedures in all Public places including schools, worship centers, entertainment centers etc.
4. Temporary restriction on ordinary mode of transport to permit safe travel by means of Public Transport and later Private vehicles etc.
5. Enforcement of a night curfew from 9.00 pm to 6.00 am to curtail wanton and reckless mischief that is characteristic of the cloak of darkness.

Government through Ministry of Health has also carried out Nationwide Public sensitization on the best health practices to prevent the spread of the Pandemic; these practices include;
1. Use of face masks and hand gloves where necessary
2. Use of sanitizers and frequent hand washing
3. Social distancing in Public places.

Further and equally important Government has undertaken to give social relief to the more vulnerable members of society by supplying basic food items.
As BOH, we applaud the Government for these interventions and pledge our full support to ensure their success.A Call To Action; Strengthening Prevention Measures And Mitigating Impact Of The Coronavirus Pandemic. In order to further strengthen the fight against the spread of COVID-19 and forestall both the negative short-term and long-term impact of the Pandemic; Bay of Hope calls on Government to urgently take the following actions;
1. To sensitize the public about the requirement to wear a face mask while public as enjoined by the COVID 19 Regulations issued by the Ministry of Health.
2. All schools before re-opening should employ preventive measures including;
1. Placement of hand washing cans in all vantage points
2. Procurement of thermometers and recruitment of medical personnel to monitor pupils/students
3. Lessen class/ dormitory crowding,
4. Do not chase away pupils/ students who have not paid up school tuition/ fees.
5. Ministry of education should conduct regular inspections to ensure compliance.
3. Government should create a special fund that can support the victims of the Pandemic including orphans, widows and other vulnerable people who will lose employment, small businesses and others due to the pandemic.
4. In terms of Human rights protection, Government needs to do the following;
1. Government needs to institute measures to protect homeless and street children who are in grave danger of double risk of exposure to the pandemic and also the state curfew.
2. Punish errant law enforcement officers including LDUs who are using excessive and brutal force against vulnerable people like children and women to enforce Government imposed curfew.
3. Establish a mobile task force under Police to quickly respond to the growing cases of Gender Based Violence in homes during this period.
5. Ensure that workers engaged in construction sites including private undertakings, Government projects like dams, roads and other lineal projects are protected against the pandemic and not exploited.
B O H Prevention Measures
B O H in partnership with our Development partners will strive to support the above Government measures and incorporate prevention mechanisms in our areas of intervention through, among others, the following;
a. Conduct community sensitisation meetings in our areas of work on the best prevention methods against the spread of COVID-19.
b. Publish IEC materials in local languages and pictorial form to educate community members about COVID-19 and how to prevent it.
c. Conduct resource mobilization campaigns to broaden our education sponsorship program so as to support children affected by the Pandemic.
d. Organise dialogue meetings with Law enforcement agencies including paramilitary groups, KCCA, Police, UPDF and others to employ best human rights approaches while enforcing compliance of Government directives and curfew during the Corona Virus pandemic,
e. Work with Ministry of Gender and Uganda National Children’s Authority and police Family Division to strengthen protection of vulnerable groups like women and children against Gender based violence and violence against children.

B O H urges all beneficiaries of our projects, partners and public at large to report any suspected cases to the nearest health facility or call MOH toll-free lines 0800-203-033, 0800-100-066, for cases of GBV and VAC call 116 or our Telephone number  +(256) – 772 – 351906. Thank You