ACDA Emergency Response Project

Introduction

The corona virus pandemic has been causing quit devastating effects around the world, including Cameroon. In early 2020, the Cameroon government put some measures to contain its spreading across the country. At local levels and in rural areas, such as in Alatening, the impact of the measures in place by the Government were not felt and there were concerns that a lack of sustained education and engagements in the community could contribute towards a local COVID

19 pandemic. In order to manage this risk, the Alatening Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) designed and delivered a Covid 19 sensitisation campaign in Alatening and across a number of Alatening meetings across Cameroon. The idea for the Covid 19 sensitisation campaign came from the emblematic Mama Maggie Ngunang, President of the ACDA USA/Canada Branch who had separately engaged with other ACDA Branch presidents across the world to develop the idea.

The ACDA leadership engaged with sons, daughters and well wishers of Alatening to raise funds (>2.2million FCFA) to support the campaign. SIRDEP Cameroon generously provided two hand washing sets for the campaign. During the May 2020 sensitisation campaigns, ACDA distributed masks, soap, non-contact water dispensers for us in community settings and provided practical education and sensitisation on measures to adopt on a daily basis to prevent the spread of Covid 19. Mr Gerald BAN and Mr Edmond CHO, both seasoned medical professionals led the sensitisation campaigns in Yaounde and Douala respectively. The campaigns in with village were lead by Mr. Ezekiel NDAM and Pa Johaness TUMASANG

Sensitisation Campaigns

The first sensitizations took place in Douala and Yaoundé. These were carried out during the respective branch meetings that held on 3^rd May 2020. The next sensitization was carried out in the Alatening Multipurpose Community Center on 10^th May 2020. Main speakers during all the campaigns were health professionals. In each of the campaigns speakers stressed on the various modes of prevention of Covic-19 to include social distancing, no handshaking, avoiding to touch the nose, mouth and eyes, practicing good hand washing and hygiene in general. They also took time off to respond to worries of participants relating to Coronavirus.

Besides the campaign in the village there was also the distribution of facemasks, hand sanitizers and flyers to everyone who was present. Each person had at least one of each of these items. Some people who were not present in the hall received theirs from the motorized campaign crew. Each quarter in the village also received some basic items for household use as well as a good number of face masks and hand sanitizers that could not be distributed in the hall. Our mothers of the Takembeng received on behalf of their quarters and will then organize and do the distributions at that level. The hand washing sets were distributed according to places where people gather the most in the village i.e. the Presbyterian Church, the Catholic Church, Ngoh Quarter, Alabong Quarter, the Health Centre and the Alatening Palace.

Next Steps

With the Covid 19 pandemic making a resurgence and new variants emerging, ACDA will continue to hold sensitization campaigns in the village and other places as is relevant or required.