Lologo Residents Happy with Coronavirus Donations from The Mandela Washington Fellows
The 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni distributed coronavirus preventive items to over 200 households in Juba’s Lologo (II) residential area.
The fellows distributed Hand wash buckets for hand washings, reusable face masks, Hand Sanitizers and soaps to residents. Designated places like shops, betting points, schools, tea points, clinics and churches were served with hand washing facilities as part of their intervention to help people contain COVID-19.
The residents applauded the 2019 Mandela Washington Fellows for providing them with Coronavirus preventives items, saying it was the first-time people went door to door to sensitize the people about COVID-19 as well as distribute materials to help curb the spread of the pandemic.
The assistant head chief of Lologo II residential area, John Kaya, praised the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni for enlightening his people on the Prevention of COVID-19.
“We are very glad to receive these items,” said Kaya, who also participated in the distribution process.
“I can confirm that they (COVID-19 Materials) have been successfully distributed to some of the targeted households,” Kaya added.
The chief noted people are still ignorant about the existence of the Coronavirus, its dangers and prevention measures.
“the awareness and the distributed items will make my people understand more on how to prevent themselves from this Coronavirus Pandemic.” Kaya said.
He acknowledged that although the materials distributed were few, he is happy that they were shared among the many households in Lologo II and urged the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni not to forget Lologo in their next projects, if any.
“We wish the Mandela fellowship team to come back next time if there happen to be more activities,” Kaya said.
Joseph Oliver Wani, the Chairperson of the US Exchange Program in South Sudan said more needs to be done to sensitized residents in Juba on precautionary measures they can take to protect themselves from COVID-19 pandemic.
“We took the locals through some lectures on why they should protect themselves from the Coronavirus pandemic.” Wani told The Insider.
“Let’s keep striving, let’s keep preventing ourselves as well as doing our best to prevent this virus from reaching more people,” Wani added.
Of the more than 200 households reached in Lologo II, each household received at least two bars of soap, 5 to 10 facemasks, according to the number of family members. The alumni also installed buckets for washing hands at the designated public such as markets, schools and churches where a larger group of people are expected to gather.
Joyce Nyachengjwok? Atam, one of the beneficiaries said they have been trying to observe the Coronavirus preventive measures but says it’s costly to purchase items like facemasks and Hand Sanitizers.
“These (Face) masks are surely going to help us a lot, like if anyone goes to any office or a marketplace then it will help him or her access those places and be safe since wearing masks is mandatory,” Atam said.
Alfred Philip, also a resident of Lologo II, appreciated the young leaders for the love and care they have for the communities that are in dire need during the COVID-19 era.
“We will use these soaps for observing proper hand hygiene, (especially) when we leave our homes for other places, and when we return back home,” Philip said.
As of Sunday, South Sudan has recorded 2,644 positive cases, 1438 recoveries and 49 deaths.
After the fellowship, the 2019 fellows returned to South Sudan in August last year, to contribute to the development of their various communities at their various capacities. That is how the fellowship molds the fellows.
But Susan Adol, a 2019Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni revealed that the distribution of COVID-19 materials would be expanded to other areas if they win another grant.
In this project, Adol says the alumni’s main target areas were Gumbo-Sherikat and Lologo in Juba and Aweil Town in Northern Bar El Ghazel state. The fellows already carried out distribution in Gumbo Sherikat in July during the Nelson Mandela birth week.
The alumni were supported by the US Embassy in Juba as part of assistance by the US Department of State to help young African leaders assist people at home during difficult times.
“They are helping young African leaders across Africa who have gone through YALI Programs to reach out to their communities during this hard time of the pandemic,” explained Joseph Oliver Wani, the president of the US Exchange Alumni Association.
Mandela fellows are young South Sudanese who have undergone US exchange programs in the United States supported by the US Department of State.
Every year the US Department of State takes ten young South Sudanese leaders to the United States of America to study, network and bring home the knowledge gained from US based institutes of higher learning, during the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
However, due to the current global pandemic, and with the safety and well-being of Fellows and Partners as the highest priority, the U.S. Department of State postponed the 2020 Fellowship until next year, 2021.
Applicants for the 2020 Fellowship who were selected as Finalists and Alternates have been notified that they are eligible to defer their participation until summer 2021. The U.S. Department of State will not open a general application for the 2021 Fellowship this fall.
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