Rwandan Answer to Pandemic through Investment and Development (RAPID)

The project will strive to mitigate health as well as economic and social impacts of COVID‑19. It will adopt a youth-led approach. Given that the median age of the continent is 19.7 years, youth leadership will be critical for prevention and containment activities (World Economic Forum, 30/03/20). SACCA will build on its 5-years’ experience of training young people and extensive community links, and establish a community-based structure of 38 RAPID facilitators supported by 141 village communicators. Facilitators will be recruited from SACCA’s graduates who lost employment and other active youth. They will work closely with sector and cell leaders and identify “at-risk” groups to the virus and lockdown aftershocks (older people, people with disabilities, informal workers, vulnerable families etc.). The facilitators will support more than 5,000 households (at least 20,000 individuals) to adopt preventative behaviours to protect themselves and others from COVID‑19. They will train community members in hand-washing and deliver accurate messages as well as leaflets about the disease. The facilitators will be able to address the cultural and social factors around risk perception and risk management. They will ensure that their message does not increase stigma and does not deter people from reporting symptoms and seeking treatment. If facilitators come across cases that require psycho-social or other support, they will refer those to SACCA’s professional staff. Facilitators will distribute hygiene kits in line with WASH standards to 1,000 vulnerable households. These households will also receive masks made by a group of tailors with hearing impairments. They will also identify 300 the most at-risk individuals (elderly and those with comorbidities). The project will provide them with simple hand-washing station. The facilitators will promote a stay-at-home option while helping this group with food delivery in line with updated government’s guidelines (£21 per family of 4). We will also aim to support 675 vulnerable people who are the most affected by the aftermath of the lockdown (informal workers, families with large number of children etc.). In addition to information, during first 3 months, these households will be supported with cash transfers in line with government’s guidelines. During the following 3 months, when some informal workers will be able to restart paid work, the support will focus on 120 households to enable them to engage in subsistence agriculture. The facilitators will also signpost any available resources from the government or other organisations. The project will further complement the Government’s efforts to raise community awareness on COVID-19 and hygiene behaviours with a strong focus on the hard to reach population. It will also support 45 additional street girls in SACCA Rehabilitation Centre. It will also deliver essential hand-washing and other equipment to 15 health centres and 28 health posts in Kayonza District.