In truth, none of us are safe until all of us are safe. The COVID-19 pandemic paints this in living colour. Nigeria faces the same challenges as the rest of the world. But in our case, Nigeria has far more people living in poverty and a lot of people working in the informal economy. They are harder hit by the pandemic and most impacted by the measures that work to mitigate the pandemic, such as staying at home, social distancing, and washing hands.
We shine the spotlight on them, we work to advocate for their own well-being. Safety requires solidarity. Will you join us in solidarity?
Stories of hope from our community
We asked ONE’s global community for their stories of hope and solidarity. Here are two from our community.
I would like to use this medium to appreciate the health workers worldwide. Doctors, nurses, and medical experts who have relentlessly treated patients with COVID-19. Also not forgetting the volunteers who have assisted in spreading the preventive measures of the coronavirus. I believe we all, such as citizens, government, private firms have our role to play towards curbing this virus. Let’s do more by educating people to remain safe, self-isolate, and not panic. Together we can help prevent the spread of this virus.
— Besidone Edun, Nigeria
The past few months have been intense, globally. Though the COVID-19 pandemic is such a terrible thing to happen, there is an underlying pro to also acknowledge; how it has united the world. For the first time, this is not about gender or wealth or economic status or fame or one country. It is simply about humanity, about survival, and this resonates across the human race. In the face of a common, global enemy, artificial structures erected to differentiate us — race, color, language, and culture — have become insignificant, because we can only defeat this pandemic if we act and share, selflessly.
— Odigwe Gloria, Nigeria
Do you have an uplifting story that you’d like to share? You can submit your story here.
How you can help locally
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is Nigeria’s leading national public health institute. It is a federal government agency headquartered in Abuja. NCDC coordinates COVID-19 response activities in Nigeria through the national COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre.
Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) is a foremost responder to emergencies in Nigeria. They are an important member of the National Rapid Response Team on COVID-19 in Nigeria. NRCS currently has over 500,000 volunteers across the country. Here’s how you can become a volunteer.
Nigerian Youth Task Force on COVID-19 (NYTFC) deploys its volunteers with well trained medical personnel who have knowledge of COVID-19 and strategies to curb its spread through proper sensitization, dissemination of useful information, and combating fake news. They have also prepared strategies to mobilize relief materials for the most vulnerable Nigerians to enable them to survive during the period of isolation. Here’s how you can become a volunteer.
Future Assured is an initiative of the Aisha Buhari foundation, a nongovernmental organization that advocates for the well-being of women, children, and adolescents in Nigeria. The organization is currently supporting COVID-19 response efforts in Nigeria. To volunteer, email: [email protected] or call +2349057408509
Connected Development (CODE) is a nongovernmental organization that aims to empower marginalized communities in Africa. CODE recently launched a campaign to make public all funds released for the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria and its implementation plans. Join the campaign here.
Resources and recommended reading
First and foremost, follow WHO COVID-19 guidelines to protect yourselves and others from becoming infected. Practices like regular, proper handwashing and social distancing are particularly important. Follow local and national public health directives, particularly in relation to movement. The greater the compliance, the sooner the crisis will end.
Join the fight! There are several things you can do to combat COVID-19, even from home. Share verified information, donate, volunteer where possible, and support frontline healthcare workers where possible. We are all in this together and we will beat this virus! We’ve put together a list of resources for at-home activism.
You can also catch up on our latest blog coverage: Here are four ways the Nigeria government could minimize the impact of COVID-19. A crucial tool against pandemics is a strong primary healthcare system. We recently visited Osun state for a glimpse of how this could work.
We’ve also gathered some key facts to know and what we can learn from the pandemic, and 5 major health organisations taking action globally against COVID-19. And here’s why we need a global response to this global pandemic — and how we can achieve that.
