Educate Tanzania Inc (ETI) supports the following grant. Questions? Contact Dr. Bagonza or Mr. Karusya via WhatsApp or email ETI at educatetanzaniaATgmailDOTcom. As of April 17, 2020, we have 35% of our target.
Project Goal
To enhance safety from COVID-19 among the people of Karagwe, Ngara and Kyerwa Districts.
Specific objectives
- Provide funds for necessary equipment and facilities (PPE, respirators, ventilators) at Nyakahanga Hospital and its dispensaries to help with prevention of COVID-19.
- Provide funds for necessary equipment and facilities (hand-washing stations, soap, disinfectant, masks) in congregations towards prevention from COVID-19.
- To promote health education (via radio) towards COVID-19.
- Provide funds for sufficient food and water supply to suspects of COVID-19 in quarantines.
Immediate intervention is urgently needed. Please consider this proposal.
Background information
Karagwe Diocese (KAD) is one of the 26 Dioceses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). It was originally part of the Northwest Diocese but was in 1979 accorded an independent status. On the 7th January, 2019 KAD celebrated 40 years of inauguration. It operates in three government administrative districts of the United Republic of Tanzania, namely; Karagwe, Kyerwa and Ngara. It is composed of 8 church districts, namely; Lukajange, Mabira, Murongo, Kyerwa, Ihembe, Bweranyange, Kituntu and Ngara. The eight districts are divided into 44 parishes with 272 congregations. Karagwe Diocese has 92 pastors (including those who are retired), 13 deacons and evangelists who total up to 284. The Diocesan head office has 8 departments namely; Planning and Development Department, Youths Department, Mission and Evangelism, Building Department, Finance Department, Women, Children & Social Welfare, Diaconia Department and the Administration.
Apart from the fundamental spiritual work, the Diocese is running three secondary schools, three primary schools, one hospital, five dispensaries, one Bible school, one vocational training centre and one University College. There are also three hotels/conference centers at Kayanga, Ngara and Kyerwa that facilitate church meetings as well as income generation.
Problem statement
Globally, we all know how important it is to be in good health. Our health affects everything from how much we enjoy life to what work we can perform. That’s why there is a goal to make sure everyone has health coverage and access to safe and effective medicines, vaccines and preventive measures.
The Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak is now a world health crisis.
The disease causes respiratory illness (like the flu) with symptoms such as a cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. You can protect yourself by washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your face, and avoiding close contact (2 meters or 6 feet). The infectious disease that is now a burning issue started in a few countries like China and rapidly spread quickly to other countries all over the world. Europe and America have been also severely affected, despite their highly advanced technology in the health sector. As corona virus continues to spread; developing countries, like Tanzania will experience the worst situation ever. Immediate intervention is urgently needed. We lack infrastructure, cleaning chemicals, personal protective equipment, respirators and ways to reach and teach outlying communities.
There is no cure at the moment, so it is very important to take all preventive measures and ensure safety of our nation and its people. As of this printing, in Tanzania, there are currently more than 19 cases that have been reported. We are taking all the precautions we can to ensure safety even though our financial constraints are severe and the government’s support on this pandemic is minimal.
The church is concerned about its people and the community at large and therefore on the frontline to help people take precautions on the ongoing world tragedy. Your support will therefore be highly appreciated. Nyakahanga hospital team will be the lead in the whole process as it deals with provision of health services.
Project Goal
To enhance safety from COVID-19 among the people of Karagwe, Ngara and Kyerwa
Specific objectives
- Ensure availability of necessary equipment and facilities at Nyakahanga hospital and its
dispensaries to help with prevention of COVID-19.
- Ensure availability of necessary equipment and facilities in congregations towards prevention from COVID-19.
- To promote health education towards COVID-19.
- Ensure sufficient food supply to suspects of COVID-19 in quarantines.
Objective 1: Ensure availability of necessary equipment and facilities at Nyakahanga Hospital and its dispensaries to help with prevention of COVID-19
The KAD Diocese owns one designated hospital which for many years has been serving 600,000 people of Karagwe and Kyerwa. Due to the congestion of areas with hospitals and dispensaries, and the large numbers of people seeking health services, it is very important that these places take high precautions so as to avoid rapid growth of corona victim cases. Therefore the hospital and the dispensaries of Nyakatera, Karaseco, Katenga, Ibamba, will be equipped with additional hand washing stands (buckets, soap) and disinfectants, personal protection equipment such as gloves, masks, sanitizers, overall gowns, boots and goggles so as to enable health workers protect themselves and patients at all times before, during and after provision of health services. Furthermore, thermo scanning services are to be provided so as to detect early possible related signs among the patients who visit the respective sites for medical services. Per CDC recommendations, patients with confirmed or presumed COVID-19 infection will be given a facemask when being evaluated. Healthcare personnel will be trained in standard contact and airborne precautions including the use of eye protection (goggles or face shield) when caring for patients with COVID-19 and will use N95 respirators, gowns, gloves, facemasks, eye protection, etc. when supplies are made available.
Importantly, Nyakahanga Hospital needs three respirators to intercede and provide treatment for confirmed cases of respiratory failure. Efforts are underway to secure needed equipment from partner connections.
Objective 2: Ensure availability of necessary equipment and facilities in congregations towards prevention from COVID-19
Karagwe Diocese has a total number of 272 congregations and other institutions, apart from the hospital, which includes primary schools, secondary schools, a vocational training center, a Bible school and one University College. Hand-washing stands (a stand, bucket, water and soap) with disinfectants will be distributed to each congregation to ensure that people wash their hands throughout as one way of prevention from the virus. However, some in congregations that lack water, water tanks will be purchased and availability of clean water will be ensured. This will be under the supervision of evangelists, parish pastors in collaboration with church district pastors. Institutions will maintain these facilities so as to ensure higher levels of hygiene among students/pupils and staff even after the re-opening of the institutions after the brunt of the pandemic has passed. This is because it is hard to know when the problem will totally perish. It is therefore wise to continue taking precautions so as to avoid conditions that might lead to more dire consequences.
Objective 3: To promote health education towards COVID-19
Health workers from Nyakahanga Hospitals and dispensaries will provide health education via the local radio station to ensure that people are fully aware of procedures to slow the spread of the corona virus and to encourage listeners to help educate others through their families, etc. Educational programs will be provided through radio programs, outdoor short services in small groups of people who will observe distance in sitting. Radio sessions will also minimize gatherings of people. KAD’s IT team in collaboration with the health department of Nyakahanga will also provide health education (e.g.-learning, text messaging) that will be shared among the members of outlying congregations and others so as to reach the greatest number of people possible and to disseminate information for more precautions to be taken. Where necessary in remote areas, local tribal language will also be used so as to enable everyone to understand easily and most accurately.
Objective 4: Ensure sufficient food supply to suspects of COVID-19 in quarantines
Food and water support will be provided to suspected victims of COVID-19 who will be identified in order to reduce the burden especially to families that cannot afford daily meals for their families. The support will also depend on the number of the presumed and confirmed cases.
Expected outcomes/results
- Reduce/stop the spread of corona virus.
- Reduce load on the constrained healthcare system.
- Improved hygiene of Karagwe, Kyerwa and Ngara community.
- Reduced panic among community members.
- Well informed community of Karagwe, Kyerwa and Ngara on COVID-19.
- Reduced number of contaminated healthcare and other frontline staff
Monitoring
Monitoring and reporting will be done by the General Secretary’s office, planning department in collaboration with the, mission and evangelism department and heads of institutions to ensure proper provision of services as intended. Documentation of implementation, expenses and impact will be effectively considered, reported, shared transparently and kept for future records.
Sustainability
It is important that the prevention measures like hand washing are adopted throughout (not only in times of crisis) so as ensure safety even to the coming generations because it is hard to know when this will end completely. And we know the benefits prevail when there is a crisis or not.
Please help us- provide emergency support to all persons in Karagwe, Kyerwa and Ngara regardless of affiliations or economic status as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We urgently need your help.
Budget (attached)
