KENYA — The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Kenya have jointly published a comprehensive report outlining the impact of their collaborative Eastern Africa Regional COVID-19 response program.
This report was unveiled during an end-of-program review meeting held in Nairobi.
Scheduled to conclude in June 2023, the AKDN-EU Eastern Africa Regional COVID-19 Response Programme has made a significant impact in the region.
Together, the AKDN and EU have reached nearly 10 million people across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
The program, which received a total funding of US$10.15 million, was launched in December 2020. The EU facilitated a contribution of US$6.69 million, while the AKDN provided facilitation of US$3.2 million.
The Aga Khan Foundation UK led the program, with implementing partners including the Aga Khan Foundation in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Mozambique, as well as Aga Khan Health Services in Kenya and Tanzania.
The Aga Khan University Hospital, Aga Khan University’s Institute for Human Development, Graduate School of Media Studies & Communication, and Triggerise Stitching were also involved in the program.
The report highlights the program’s aim to address the health, economic, and social vulnerabilities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic in the four countries.
To achieve this, a systemic and gender-sensitive approach was adopted, focusing on enhancing community resilience and improving health delivery systems.
H.E Amb. Henriette Geiger, the EU Ambassador to Kenya, expressed her satisfaction with the partnership, stating, “In partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation, the European Union was able to provide critical support in the health sector during the most acute phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
She emphasized that the interventions had provided relief to communities facing social and economic challenges.
Amb. Geiger also expressed her delight at the positive outcomes of the program, particularly in the livelihoods component, which would benefit young people and enable them to lead healthy lives.
The response program made significant contributions to public healthcare facilities, supporting 25 healthcare facilities across the four countries.
This involved capacity building for over 1,500 healthcare staff, provision of hospital equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE), and improvements to existing infrastructure, including digital health platforms.
Additionally, community resilience was enhanced through increased COVID-19 awareness among vulnerable groups, as well as training young journalists to share stories of hope.
The program also fostered partnerships with 267 local civil society organizations (CSOs) to address the needs of the most vulnerable community members.
This was achieved through training and rapid deployment of funds.
Riaz Nathu, the Aga Khan Foundation Regional CEO, emphasized the importance of collaborating with local CSOs, stating, “Partnering with local CSOs strengthened our capacity and innovation skills to meet community needs and created a platform for interaction and networking for Civil Society Organizations’ members.”
Nathu stated that he hoped the networks formed would further foster elevated levels of support and exchange of ideas that is essential for local CSO empowerment and their work in communities.
The program intervention focused also on strengthening health systems by training frontline healthcare workers and supporting government health facilities.
The support was through the supply of PPEs, COVID-19 testing kits, intensive care equipment, medical goods, and digital healthcare equipment including infrastructure renovation.
It also increased access to adolescent and youth-friendly health services, including improved life skills and livelihood opportunities to over 45,000 young individuals.
The project improved young girls’ access to Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH), Gender Based Violence (GBV), and Mental Health services and information, and supported youth through innovation grants and design sessions to improve livelihood opportunities.
“The youth learning platforms created interactions between the youth and adolescents will continue to provide youth-friendly spaces for young people to network, share innovative ideas, and local solutions to community challenges,” added Riaz.
One hundred captivating stories of hope were shared through different platforms on how people navigated and strived through the COVID-19 pandemic.
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