STICKING TO OUR MISSION AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHALLENGE

By Weswa Ivan Unwavering and relentless spirit is key in holding on to a given purpose and accomplishments while facing imminent threats and delineations. Similarly, SCOWEL has hinged on such attributes to continue defending her mission and objectives. Since March 2020, our operational approaches have drastically changed but serving to empower vulnerable communities in limited-resource settings remains core to our agenda. We are guided by principles extricable of such values as compassion, quality healthcare, community, empowerment and transparency. Because of interruptions caused by the pandemic, it has been difficult to deliver and defend our mission. There has been increasing demand for our services among communities, yet our capacity to sustain human and economic capital among other enabling resources has been drastically jeopardized. However, we have managed to strategically utilize our human resources, and more sparingly spent our limited finances for the continuity of our programs. Furthermore, we have capitalized on the available human resources for concerted problem solving and engagement of the community for collective support. Our staff have been brought on board and empowered according to their performance needs, and skilled according to individual experiences, talents and abilities. With our ground structure of established community health workers, it has been possible for us to remain in touch with community members, follow up with clients, and do monitoring and evaluation of programs activities. Follow-up and referral system has been synergized by using mobile phones, community radios, and short messaging services. A 24/7 toll-free phone service was established, which improved communication with our current and potential clients.

Our committed workforce and sufficient community engagement have enabled SCOWEL to triumph in delivering maternal-child and reproductive health services, managing non-communicable diseases, caring for orphaned and vulnerable children, provision of personal protective equipment, and relief items like sanitary materials, and foodstuffs as a stimulus for essential meals to various households. With strict observance of SOPS and using a selection of appropriate media, community health workers have been trained and communities sensitised on prevention and control of COVID-19 infection. Our staff members and health trainees were trained about the novel Coronavirus and the scale of managing it, as well as associated multi-disciplinary roles, obligations and responsibilities in tackling its related challenges. Our main setbacks include the insufficient number of smartphones and inappropriate technical know-how for the usage of mobile/online and other digital/virtual tools and technologies. There hasn’t been the real-time cover of certain duties because running certain programs has largely been dependent on remote working, and financing certain activities has rather become more demanding and costly. Like any other successful organization, we continue to steer our mission, as we strive to live in the world of COVID-19. We aspire to develop solutions to problems and threats posed by the pandemic. Resource mobilization and investment for adopting tools and technologies necessary for bridging gaps that are emerging with the COVID-19 pandemic era are among our priority areas. During this COVID-19 resurgence in Uganda, SCOWEL management has decided to pivot its implementation approaches in order to achieve its set targets. Some of the approaches include; (1). Strengthening of home-based care services for community members especially pregnant women, (2). Supervision of the community health workers (CHWs) through phone calls to maintain the provision of family planning services and other services in the community, (3). Provide home-based counselling and guidance to orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCs) as well as to young girls to prevent unwanted pregnancies and early marriages. (4) Printing and distribution of education materials to over 500 vulnerable children supported through the SCOWEL OVC program to ensure continued learning during this trying period.