Welcome to Bright Light Projects August 2020 Newsletter,
BLP’s approach to Covid-19 is a long-term sustained intervention making sure our flagship WASH programs are fully integrated into our Covid-19 sensitization initiative. BLP plans to make our Covid-19 campaign become part of the daily lives for our communities. We must think beyond this pandemic to overcome it’s deadly nature.
Local Outreach, Education & Collaboration is the theme of this BLP Covid-19 Sensitization Campaign. The first engagement was on June 25, 2020 at our headquarter office in Waterloo. Two youths per community from all BLP 11 operational communities (total of 22 Youths) in the Western Area Rural District were part of this training. The first training session was carried out by the District Health Medical Team (DHMT) Expert in Waterloo who told the trainees: “Taking the Corona virus messages at Local level will help to increase the awareness, giving the required education on Covid-19 will help to reduce the infection rate and bringing other key players by working together would help to solve the problem, and this was the essence why BLP is staging such a training” The Head of Risk Management at Red Cross Society highlighted to the trainees why the theme of this Campaign if well contextualized would help to stop the spread the Corona Virus in Sierra Leone. BLP Communities in the Western Area Rural District include: Mabureh, Kissy, Lumpa, Hanga, Monkey Bush, Camp, Tombo, Mango Farm, Newtown Village, York, Cole Town.
On June 27, 2020, 16 Youths were trained as BLP Community Youth Ambassadors at the BLPSL regional office in Makeni – Bombali District. Joseph B Thullah the Development and planning officer Bombali District Council who spoke on behalf of the stakeholders, he extended his thanks and appreciation for the good job BLPSL has been doing both in the past and present. He stated that he is impressed and happy for BLPSL for joining them as Government to the fight against Covid-19 in Sierra Leone. He gave a clear manifestation as to how BLP have been recognizing the council in all our activities. He told called on the Youth Ambassadors to fully present to work closely with BLP to succeed in the fight against Covid-19 in Bombali District.
Momoh Sesay, a trainee representing Romanor community mentioned a sad historic event about their community about the Ebola epidemic which lead to the death of so many potential people in their community and promised they will will take this training very serious in their community. He is happy to be trained as BLP Community Youth Ambassadors. He was send by his people because they believe in him.
After the training sessions in both districts, BLPSL team members collaborated and came up with a Community engagement schedule for all different communities to be carried out by the Youth Ambassadors with supervision of BLPSL team members.
Communities in Bombali District include: Makeni Municipality, Rosint Community, Masuba Community, New London Community, Romanor Community, Pate Bana Community, Rochain Community, Massathi Community. Working with line ministries provides an opportunity for our team to stay compliant with Government policies and procedures as we continue to compliment Government efforts in rebuilding broken communities.
We look forward to your partnership in contributing towards Covid-19 long-term sensitization campaign in helping communities fight this deadly virus through proper Local Outreach, Educations , and Collaboration over the next 12 months.