THE PAIN OF A SECOND TOTAL LOCK DOWN
We are currently facing our second phase of COVID 19 in Uganda since our first phase in March last year. Luckily, the candidates were able to finish their final exams before lockdown and are awaiting the release of their exams and currently on holiday. Also, University students most of them were able to do their semester exams. At the moment, all University and some institute kids have joined online programs.
Currently we are going through our second phase of COVID 19 where many people in Uganda have been affected, including children in schools and teachers as well. This put panic among the public and also forced the president to close down schools again. Unfortunately, some of the students had finally just reported back to school in April after the first phase. It’s very painful for all of us and the students who are now so discouraged with the school calendar wondering when they will stabilize.
Due to this closure of schools and also the presidents’ warning to put the country on lockdown the whole country has been under panic because he closed borders and gave the country a grace period of 3 days to take the children from school to their respective home districts.
On the 17th of this month at 8:00pm the president spoke more about COVID 19, and he came up with the following issues:
- 20,000 have been infected and 584 have already died
- there are a lot of community transmissions and the government has fewer doses of vaccination
- the government came up with a strategy of reducing community transmissions and this was a total lock down for 42 days
- we are now under a total lockdown where all public and private transport has been stopped and suspended
- all business have been closed
- only few selected sectors have been left open which include health centers, agriculture, industries, banks, and security
- more sectors will be closed in the next one week
We are very disappointed with this, but the truth is the virus is very severe and there are no doses of the vaccine. The government has been slow in purchasing the necessary doses and now the lock down has been the option.
WAY FORWARD FOR RUHU
We want to be safe and prevent all the kids from the infection; we need more prayers at the moment. We want to keep all kids at home without movement; well provided for and cared for.
We are going to try our best to feed all the kids with the recommended food, fruits, and vegetables to help in boosting the immunity for the kids here.
We need food and other necessities to be stocked enough for at least for three months within the next one or two weeks before they take us into further restricted lockdown where all sectors that are now open like banks may be closed and suspended.
Due to the directive that only 50 percent capacity is allowed in the homes, as the organization we have been forced again to take some of the children back to foster families around the community and others in extended families. We shall have to provide the food, necessities, and standard operating materials to these families.
Holiday program activities will be emphasized to limit unnecessary movements of kids in the homes. Activities such as soap making, book making, music and drama, door mat making, online studies and more are going to be fully emphasized. We are going to do a lot of online studying because every school is adopting that. We shall try and do vaccination for all of the kids, but we have few doses in the country, it’s very unfortunate.
We hope to continue the food supply/green bag project in the communities mostly to the elderly because the government closed the country but has not given food to people and this is continuously going to lead to starvation and death.
We are expecting to go back to normal after the 42 days of lock down but uncertain about the way forward for our children’s education and safety.
Thanks so much for taking care of the children.
William
