COVID-19 is affecting our programs, but we believe that through God’s will, we will come out stronger on the other side with even more resolve. Our leadership team in Goma is abiding by the governmental directives and praying for a quick resolution to this crisis. After a decade-long battle with Ebola, there are beneficial protocols and hygiene practices already in place to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in DR Congo.
The impact of the virus has created four immediate needs:
Education - We have a moral obligation to pay our teachers, who are working to continue the curriculum for the kids at home. We are asking parents to pay their fees but expect the rapidly changing economics of the region will leave them without the resources. At a rate of $25,000 per month for our teacher’s wages and taxes, we need $75,000 to bridge the gap.
Phone Minutes - The surging need for increased communication requires more minutes to allow the continued flow of information, advice and best practices in dealing with COVID-19. Social distancing makes this need even more critical to keep our organization moving forward. The phone minutes needed will cost $6,000.
Media - Regional radio airtime can reach approximately 11 million listeners across Congo and into Rwanda, at a cost of $1.75 per minute. We would like to broadcast messages of awareness, prevention, safety, counseling and biblical messages. For a span of 90 days, two hours of daily airtime would cost $18,900. A daily segment on local TV ($150) during the same span would cost $13,500, for a total media need of $32,400. Our reach could be expanded further based on financial capacity.
Entrepreneurship - When you empower people to be the solution, resources become the only limitation. Our entrepreneurs have incredibly vital plans (sanitizing services, telecommunication services) that need seed funding. At this critical time, we can equip 10 entrepreneurs to put their ideas into motion for $25,000.