Penelope is delivering food and soap and masks. She has particularly targetted the elderly. Our Afrinspire Coronavirus Appeal, which ran from May to July, raised almost £13,000. We were able to help hundreds of families in Uganda and Zambia who lacked food due to the Coronavirus lockdown. We also included distributions of masks and soap in certain places. Needs were assessed by our African partners. More than £25,000 has been deployed through Afrinspire. We have started a new Afrinspire Coronavirus Appeal page which you can find here. The Coronavirus has moved slower in East Africa but it has arrived close to most of our partners. Many restrictions are in place but work is continuing on constructing classrooms, protecting water springs, building smokeless ovens and some recent harvesting and planting. There are lockdowns, curfews, various travel restrictions, many schools closed, with some easing in some places and rural people able to continue caring for their own land on which they live.
In Uganda the hospitals are close to being overwhelmed if not already overwhelmed. Many people don't reach hospital. Uganda has dealt with many emergencies in the past such as being able to contain Ebola outbreaks, so there is organisational knowledge and capability but not always enough resources to go round. We do hear of 'many deaths' in some rural areas but we do not have statistics.