COVID-19 - Solidarity message from ISDAO
Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest
Monday, March 23, 2020
Greetings from ISDAO
Dear friends,
It is with a lot of concern but also with solidarity that we follow the health news in the world, and particularly in our region in West Africa.
The Covid-19 epidemic, also known as the Coronavirus, has begun to affect several countries in the region. This pandemic has wreaked havoc in other parts of the world. We have already recorded four (4) cases of death in Burkina Faso. This virus is progressing rapidly and often uncontrollably.
We know that access to care is difficult for the general population in our countries, but even more so for the most vulnerable groups, including our LGBTQI communities.
The measures recommended by the World Health Organization and our national governments to protect and reduce the spread of the virus must be strictly adhered to, and we recognize that these measures will affect the spaces for mobilization and the culture of sociability to which our communities are accustomed. We also recognize that measures restricting movement may result in the restriction of people's freedoms, further entrench the sense of isolation and at the same time increase the vulnerability of those who are already isolated. Finally, we recognize how, in times of crisis, our communities are often the scapegoat.
In a spirit of solidarity, we urge all of our communities to continue to keep themselves safe while respecting hygiene, protection and security measures for COVID-19 prevention.
On our end, my team and I have officially decided to put all staff travel and physical meetings on hold until the beginning of May. We will reassess this decision at the end of April, to determine the next steps. For the time being we will be promoting work, meetings and consultations online - which we were already doing.
At ISDAO, one of our core values is flexibility, recognizing that our environment is dynamic and complex. We encourage our grantee partners whose work is affected by this crisis to contact us to discuss needs and options. We also ask our donor and grantee partners to be flexible and patient with us as well.
We are thinking about those at the frontlines of this pandemic, and express our solidarity in particular with:
> Our fellow philanthropists who fund health research,
> To the scientific research staff who work every day to find alternative care to eradicate this pandemic,
> Nursing staff and the entire medical profession who provide care and assistance despite reduced means and often very precarious working conditions,
> Domestic workers whose vulnerability to infection is considerable,
> Individuals, usually women, who provide domestic and other health care, and who by virtue of their labor, will be more exposed to the virus,
> Those already affected by the virus, to whom we wish a speedy recovery.
This moment requires, more than ever, that we all demonstrate a commitment to collective well-being. We are optimistic that, in solidarity, we will overcome this pandemic, whose consequences are already affecting us all enormously.
With hope,
B. Caroline Kouassiaman,
Executive Director of ISDAO
Crédit photo : 2019, SanctuaryStudios