This summary section focuses on SWAPNO’s crash program on COVID-19 pandemic to poor and extreme poor people. In the very beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, SWAPNO took initiatives to raise awareness of the beneficiary households to maintain personal hygiene, provided awareness-raising messages to the beneficiaries through Union Workers, printed and distributed posters on self-protection for community awareness, disseminated text messages individually to all beneficiaries and staff’s cell phones. But more initiative required to fight against COVID 19 to protect community-level infection since community-level infection increased over the time. Therefore, SWAPNO has supported in the very beginning from 4th to 22nd April 2020 through Sida fund. Also, BRH, UNDP announced a CITI fund, SWAPNO submitted a proposal and got approval of BDT 1297,665.00 on food and Personal hygiene-pack for the beneficiaries.
Hand washing session and awareness to beneficiaries: The project reached to community people in 172 Unions with WHO recommended awareness-raising message on COVID-19. Total 22,989 community people including SWAPNO beneficiaries (56% women, 26% children and 18% men) practically learned hand washing process as per WHO recommendation and received COVID-19 awareness message through 2,555 courtyard sessions in four districts.
Hygiene Kits distribution: Project has distributed hygiene kits to beneficiary households. Hygiene kits included soaps, masks and hand sanitizers, total 191,044 pieces of hygiene kits (soap-87,812 pcs, hand sanitizer 9,052 and mask-94,180 pcs) were distributed to SWAPNO beneficiary households and 3,140 pieces to local Mosques.
Awareness development materials printed and distributed: SWAPNO developed awareness development materials with pictures and important information in easy language. In total, 94,500 awareness development materials (poster: 8,000 and leaflet: 86,500) printed and distributed to build mass awareness on protection from COVID-19.
Community-level Awareness through Loudspeaker Announcement: Around 870,000 persons got an awareness message on COVID-19 through loudspeaker announcements. About 3400 mosques in 172 unions and pre-recorded voice messages through rickshaw van disseminated the message. The community Radio Sharabela in Gaibandha and the community radio Chilmari in Kurigram Districts broadcasted WHO recommended awareness messages along with updated govt. news on COVID-19 five times daily from April and continued till the end of May 2020
Food basket and cash grants support: With the financial support of the United Group and BRH, SWAPNO provided 14,880 food baskets support to poor and extreme poor beneficiaries. The food basket contained rice, flour, potatoes, sugar, salt, soybean oil, flattened rice (Chira. The project has also provided BDT 1500 as a Cash grant through bKash to 6,064 women beneficiaries with financial support from Australian aid.
