The Effects Of Covid-19 In Africa
By Shaun Burrows , International Missions Manager
We ’ re hearing from our overseas contacts that the Covid-19 pandemic is having a dreadful effect in the lives of billions of people in developing countries . The consequences of the disease are exacerbated by the measures taken to counter the spread of the virus , and the conditions in which people already live . Rev Davis Gatua of Kenya , Clifford Masambuko of Malawi and Rev Ndagijimana Dominique of Rwanda are partners of Through the Roof and involved in our overseas work . Below are some of their observations …
People are facing starvation with domestic violence , rape , murder , suicide , drug abuse and alcoholism having increased fourfold in some countries . Large swathes of people are returning to the rural areas , inadvertently spreading the virus as they go . Covid-19 has enabled widespread commercial sexual exploitation with child prostitution the most dominant , particularly amongst those who were orphaned through the HIV / Aids Pandemic .
As with all crises there are always positive outcomes too . People are turning back to God as they realise their mortality and vulnerability . Rev Dominique has distributed food and cleaning products to 280 families , including food hampers to disabled people . Rev Davis of Kenya is on the Covid19 response committee for the county in which he lives , and chairperson of the Covid19 response programme for the local high school in Elburgon . He has distributed food and second-hand clothes to 400 families over the past year , many of whom support a disabled person in their household . He said on one occasion while distributing food to impoverished families in a deep wooded area he came across a family with a disabled child crawling around on the floor . He reported it to the local chief who informed a member of parliament who in turn fetched a wheelchair from Nairobi for the child . He presented the wheelchair to the family
together with enough food for the next three months .
We remain committed to our work alongside our international partners and are thankful to God that the pandemic has challenged us to find alternative ways of helping them . We want to ensure that the needs of disabled people are met through our ongoing Wheels for the World programme , using technology to support them . In addition , a new project aims to provide disabled adults with the skills , training and tools to generate an income . Your prayers and financial support are vital in helping us as we continue to work alongside our partners to reach disabled people in the global south and other developing countries around the world .
Three recipients of mobility aids on our Uganda Supported Distribution www . throughtheroof . org