COVID-19 Task Force issues first grant to local organizations that fought against Ebola

The Community Women’s Initiative for Children of Ebola Victims (COWICEV) and the Positive Change Women and Girls Initiative (POCHAWOIN) are the first joint-group to receive grant money for coronavirus projects.

These two groups will be working together to implement a social mobilization campaign in five rural communities of Sanoyea District, Bong County. COWICEV will be leading the project, while the project management team will be made up of staff from POCHAWOIN. Both of these organizations worked hard during the deadly Ebola virus crisis to raise awareness in communities and keep them safe, particularly the women and children.

The main goal of the project is to raise awareness about coronavirus and provide access to hygiene related materials in the selected communities in Sanoyea District. This will be done through local community radio and palava hut engagements in Pidgin English and the local vernacular, Kpelle, as well as the distribution of hand washing buckets, masks, etc.

1. Behavior change regarding hygiene practices in marginalized/vulnerable communities in Sanoyea District, Bong County;
2. Increase knowledge about the campaign against COVID-19 and its public health threat for all Liberians;
3. Strengthen COVID-19 community surveillance in remote communities in Sanoyea District, Bong County

Community Women’s Initiative for Children of Ebola Victims (COWICEV)

COWICEV is a community based non-governmental, not-for-profit rural women organization based in Bong County. The organization was founded in April 2014 through the initiative of Laura Kanasuah Tamba, with support from her husband, and some community women.

From the onset, the organization’s main focus was to cater to quarantined families in communities within Gbarnga City, particularly Sinyea and Plato Town Communities. The primary objective was to reintegrate children who had been orphaned as a result of Ebola, into the communities where they had once lived with their parents. From their limited resources, members of the organization also contributed food and non-food items to quarantined families during the peak of the Ebola in Liberia until the country was declared Ebola free.

The members of COWICEV are from different sectors and professional backgrounds: nurses, farmers, housewives and social workers. Their work continues to impact the lives of many families, especially the children even though the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the country Ebola free since 2016.

COWICEV’s support for the education of the orphaned children continues. Here are some of the students that are benefiting from the financial aid provided by COWICEV and Trinity Church.

Beginning in 2015 up to present time COWICEV’s efforts have been supported by the Trinity Episcopal Church of Bloomington. This intervention by the church has remained the only major outside help COWICEV has received so far. They said they are grateful because it increased their impact significantly and brought relief to the orphans and their caregivers, as they are now paying school fees and buying school uniforms for the children. The economic situation in Liberia is has negatively impacted the income levels of most of COWICEV’s members, and the local support for these children weights heavily on Ms. Laura Kanasuah Tamba and her husband.

Positive Change Women and Girls Initiative (POCHAWOIN)

POCHAWOIN is a local non-governmental organization that seeks to empower women and girls, as well as the underprivileged populations by way of advocacy and innovative programs.

Ms. Veronica S. Johnson founded the organization in 2013, with a vision to create a platform for rural women and girls to actively engage in economic activities, through agriculture and other social cohesive activities (skills/capacity building trainings), women’s rights and participation, and environmental protection.

POCHAWOIN, with support from key organizations, including but not limited to the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa,(GPFA) and the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), conducted awareness campaigns against Ebola in Bomi County.

The organization also participated as one of the lead implementation partners in the Ebola Community Action Platform (E-CAP) program that WAS in partnership with Mercy Corps, and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). During the implementation of -CAP, the organization was accredited by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and certificated by the local county health team for their role in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus. A little over $80,000 USD was received from the aforementioned organizations to implement various programs during the Ebola period.

Please consider donating to COVID-19 projects by clicking here. You can help us support organizations like COWICEV and POCHAWOIN, who are on the ground everyday, working for the betterment of Liberia!