ActionAid Ghana, an affiliate of ActionAid, a global movement of people working together to further human rights for all and defeat poverty, has outlined plans for the second phase of its COVID-19 Response Project.

In announcing the second phase of the response, Mr. Sumaila Abdul Rahman, Country Director of ActionAid Ghana indicated that “As an organization with three decades of experience in working to ensure social justice and protect the rights of women and girls, and people living in poverty generally in Ghana, we understand at first hand that women, girls, children and the vulnerable in society are mostly hard hit and disadvantaged during such crisis. Therefore, this phase of our response is primarily targeted at providing relief to the extremely vulnerable in the hardest to reach areas of the country”.

The on-going first phase of ActionAid Ghana’s COVID-19 response is characterised by a series of awareness creation campaigns on social media, community radio, and using IEC materials.

ActionAid also handed over ActionAid’s Survivors’ Centre in Wa to the Wa Municipal Assembly for use as an insolation center for COVID-19 treatment.

The second phase, which is to cost GHC 2,190,000 will see the distribution of relief items to more than 15,000 households and 15 rural government hospitals across the country.

The relief items to be distributed include 15,000 reusable nose masks, 45 cartons of hand gloves, 45 cartons of disinfectants, 75 gallons of liquid soap, 934 boxes of soap each containing 24 bars, over 600 boxes of hand sanitisers each containing 24 bottles, 3,117 sacks of rice each containing five bags of 5kg mini rice, 1,314 boxes of oil each containing 12 one litre bottles each, 290 boxes of sanitary pads each containing 24 packs, 330 backs of cocoa powder and sugar each containing 12 quantities as well as 500 veronica buckets.

ActionAid Ghana’s COVID-19 Response Project will see relief items being distributed to beneficiaries in the following 31 districts:

Ahafo region: Asutifi North and Asutifi South Districts.

Bono region: Tain District and Sunyani Municipal.

Upper East region: Bawku West, Pusiga, Bawku Municipal, Binduri, Nabdam, Talensi, Kassena Nankana, Builsa South Districts.

Upper West region: Lawra, Wa East, Sisala East, Lambussie, Jirapa Districts.

Volta region: Adaklu District and Ho Municipal.

Oti Region: Kadjebi District.

Greater Accra region: Ga South District.

Northern region: Tamale Metropolitan, Sagnarigu, Nanumba North, Nanumba South, Kpandi, Tatale, Zabzugu, Mion, Gushegu, and Central Gonja Districts.

The third phase of ActionAid Ghana’s COVID-19 Response will consist of another relief package for an additional hard-hit 10,000 households and a national advocacy campaign which will focus on the need for the provision of Gender Responsive Public Services as well as enhanced social protection interventions for people living in poverty especially women and girls.

This national response is being implemented by ActionAid Ghana and their partners with funding from European Union under the Northern Ghana Integrated Development Project and the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery in the United Kingdom under the Building the Agency of Adolescent Young Girl’s for Inclusive Leadership Project and other donors.