A heartfelt thank you for USADF’s support to the COVID-19 pandemic response-helping us to ensure health and safety of persons with disabilities and their families in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by providing them with sanitation and hygiene supplies, face-masks, and information about hygiene promotion using a range of communication (simple language and combined with sign language) make it accessible to everyone.

In DRC, there are more than 3300 confirmed cases of coronavirus, more than 70 deaths caused by the new coronavirus, and about 584 suspected cases. The Congolese government has undertaken the efforts to mobilize national and international communities to confront the COVID-19 pandemic and important steps already taken by establishing a Taskforce and a National Solidarity Fund to protect Congolese, including individuals with disabilities threatened by the coronavirus. However, the country has less developed health system-the DRC has less than 1500 ventilators in the whole country with nearly 85 million people.

In order to protect the community we serve, individuals with disabilities, who are among those at the greatest risk in this crisis because so many are in institutions or medically compromised, or dependent on others for care, and with support from USADF, KKF has distributed facemasks and hand sanitizers to 700 persons with disabilities both members and no members of KFF community. Additionally, KFF advocates for an inclusive COVID-19 response in DRC-we have sent an advocacy letter to Ministry of Health and RDC COVID-19 Task Force to recall their obligation to take additional steps that are necessary to protect Congolese with disabilities such as ensuring national sign language access to their public briefing and using a range of communication channels and different formats to provide information about hygiene promotion.

About the United States African Development Foundation (USADF)

The U.S. African Development Foundation is an independent U.S. government agency established by Congress to invest directly in African grassroots enterprises and social entrepreneurs. USADF’s investment increases incomes, revenues, and jobs by promoting self-reliance and market-based solutions to poverty. USADF creates pathways to prosperity for marginalized populations and underserved communities in the Sahel, Great Lakes, and the Horn of Africa. Annually, USADF’s grant assistance generates approximately $100 million in new economic activity. To learn more, please visit www.usadf.gov.