As COVID-19 has created a disruption across all aspects of OVC programming, Pact Tanzania’s OVC programs created innovative tools to support community case worker volunteers to appropriately respond to the situation.
In Tanzania, the pandemic has caused fear and stigmatization as a lack of information has created an uncertain environment. Among OVC communities, there was a fear of continuing house visit from community case workers, fear of going to health facilities for HIV Care and Treatment at health facilities, fear of hospital admission and quarantines, and stigmas around external visitors and suspected COVID-19 cases. To combat this, the USAID Kizazi Kipya project helped to equip community case worker volunteers to respond to these fears and stigmas by creating job aids, providing social behavior change materials, including a “soap allowance” in the monthly stipend for volunteers, instructions and materials for homemade masks, and additional training on psychosocial support to address COVID-19 secondary effects.
The Pact Tanzania team presented this information to USAID at their request – the presentation can be found here:
OVC Solution during COVID-19 in Tanzania – presentation to USAID