As the fight against Corona virus (COVID-19) becomes a national concern, and an international health emergency as declared by World Health Organization in January 2020, the need to support disabled women and girls in Kailahun District has become a priority to Urgent Action Fund Africa.
Urgent Action Fund –Africa is an international funding organization based in Kenya, which supports women’s rights groups, and women’s rights defenders around the world.
It is against this backdrop that Disabled Women and Girls Union in Kailahun through a funding request awarded by Urgent Action Fund–Africa on Wednesday 10th June, 2020 donated food items including bags of rice, soap, onion, hand sanitizers, face masks, to their disabled women and girls’ membership in their hundreds.
Speaking on the significance of the support at the ceremony held at the Kailahun Court Barray and the Daru Court Barray respectively, saw in attendance hundreds of disabled women and girls who benefited from the support. Ms Josephine Lewis, who is the Coordinator, said the COVID-19 is a serious pandemic which has created negative effects on the lives of families, including women and girls living with disabilities in their operational areas.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Miata Vangahun, a physically challenged women in Kailahun town expressed thanks and appreciation to Urgent Action Fund –Africa, for the funding support provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, during the past months, the organization have been engaged in activities such as sign language interpretation on COVID-19 messages, production and dissemination of IEC materials on COVID-19, provision of hygiene materials/pads to disabled women and girls in quarantine homes.