Young African Leadership Initiatives(YALI) surpass their target in outreach to grass-root communities in Juba

They had planned to reach out to 1000 households from the grassroots, giving them soap and buckets for washing hands, however, their initiative ended up reaching over 3000 households and benefitting approximately 15,000 people because each household is often occupied by at least five people according to World Bank.

The Young African Leadership Initiatives come up with an idea of creating awareness in homesteads by conducting home to home visits and sharing information on how to take care during this Covid-19 pandemic. The initiative which is being done with the support from the US embassy in Juba south Sudan includes encouraging people to embrace frequent handwashing with water and soap, avoiding handshakes, avoiding close contacts with other people, covering mouth and nose with a handkerchief when coughing or sneezing or sneezing into a flexed elbow and last but not least staying at home and avoiding travel when having flu-like symptoms.

 South Sudan as a country has not done much to control the corona and could not afford measures such as total lockdown as seen in other countries. This is because the country cannot provide for its citizen when such measures are imposed. As a result, people were allowed after one month of some lockdown to carry on with their businesses, as usual, to provide for their families.

 It was therefore expected that religious institutions such as churches and NGOs would come up with strategies to help inform people on how to take care of themselves and their families during the pandemic.

 Such initiatives by the religious institutions and NGOs have helped some communities where members took the information seriously. However, the initiatives many people especially at grass root levels have not been reached. It is against this backdrop that Young African Leadership Initiatives decided to carry the mission. Led by Mr. Gizam Moses and Mr. Wori Moses the team of young South Sudanese was expecting to reach out to at least 1000 households. But to their amazement, they managed 3000, with approximately 15000 direct beneficiaries. This was in addition to the four market location-targeted which are estimated to have over 10000 people.

 The beneficiaries were given water buckets for washing hands, soap, face mask, and poster with the information on how to protect oneself and family from contracting the virus.

 By Didi Naabiata-Juba