By Grace Q. Bryant
Naymote, partners for democratic development, has provided L$ 465,845 for the provision of small grants to support community-based inventions to respond to the COVID- 19 pandemic.
The funds were distributed to 15 institutions including networks in Montserrado County on May 4, as part of the first phase of the institution’s project, dubbed: “Community Action Platform Against COVID-19.”
According to the executive director, Eddie Jarwolo , the funds will be used to create awareness on the importance of hand-washing , social distancing, wearing of face-masks, signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and is therefore encouraging citizens to adhere to the National Health protocols.
Director Jarwolo maintained that out of the 15 institutions, 7 are youth-led organizations, 4 are District Development Councils, 3 are Women-led and 1 youth-disability. He added that the grants to institutions run from L$ 20,000 to L$ 99,925.00 and selection was made from a total of 47 applications received and the second payment will be done on May 11, as applications are still being received.
He explained that the institution has hired 10 volunteers to carry out awareness using mobile phones and has also offered L$ 278, 600 for the mobile-awareness campaign to be conducted within 30 days.
He further explained that the volunteers are expected to reach 6, 000 people with accurate information approved by the Ministry of Health (MoH), National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
He added that each volunteer is expected to call 20 persons a day for 30 days while the institution has a database of over 12, 000 registered voters across the 15 counties that will be used to mobilize and educate thousands of Liberians about COVID-19 using mobile phones.
He revealed that the project is designed to increase grassroots response to the fight against COVID-19 enhance community engagement and ownership and believes that the approach is highly adaptive and supports community resilience.
He said the institution will use community-organizing skills and social mobilization lessons learned from the Ebola crisis and that the institution is prepared to ignite the same spirit and vigor to help save the lives of vulnerable populations in Liberia.
Naymote is calling on government and partners to support more community inventions as this is the best way to save lives and eradicate the COVID- 19. The institution is also calling on citizens across the country to join the fight by adhering to all preventive measures and stop the denial.
The small grants funds offered, which forms part of the one Million Liberia Dollars promised by the institution on April 29, was made available from a redirected budget line from the president Meter Project funded by the Open Society Initiative of west Africa. The community action platform against COVID-19 project is expected to directly and indirectly reach over 500, 000 people in Liberia.