About The COVID-19 Fund
On March 11th 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The principal objective of the COVID-19 Fund is to mobilise resources for an emergency response towards containing the spread, effects and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fund seeks to support civil society organisations efforts to get help quickly and directly to the most vulnerable groups affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in Lagos and to support charities and organisations helping the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are focusing all our resources on responding to the COVID-19 outbreak and helping to ensure that relief gets to the most vulnerable who are hardest hit by the outbreak and response. People should not have to choose between death by COVID-19 or by hunger.
The Fund was set up as part of our response to fight Covid-19 and will serve as a social safety net designed to support the most vulnerable people whose incomes and livelihood have been disrupted. The Fund works closely with government and business, but it is independent of both of them.
More than 20 million people were placed on an inital two-week lockdown in Lagos State in a bid to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was on Monday, April 13th 2020 extended for an additional two weeks by Mr. President. However, with almost 75% of workers in Lagos operating in the informal sector and surviving day to day, there are challenges with:
- Gaps in coordination of distribution of food
- Non-involvement of civil society and independent CDA’s
- Politicians hijacking of packages at the local level
- Absence of a criteria definition of vulnerable person which meant that not all food package recipients are vulnerable or poor
- Implementation of distribution outside available data
- Quantity of food distributed for sharing in communities.
- Fraught with challenges and has become increasingly risky and dangerous with attacks and robberies on vehicles by hoodlums.
- The absence of a central coordinating body for multiple players without agreed standards
- Distribution methods flouts all COVID-19 guidelines as it
- Pulled people out of their homes defeating the stay at home order
- Social distancing of 6feet not observed even by distributors
- Methods could be more dignifying
What We Will Do
Minimise direct food distribution
Minimise current system of distributing relief food packages which is prone to abuse at various levels and there is a lot of wastage. Distribution of relief packages will only be carried out when absolutely required.
Direct transfer to beneficiary accounts
Direct account transfer of funds to bank accounts of the most vulnerable as an improvement on the present challenging distribution system, which also in most case breaches the social distancing rules with people gathering at distribution points etc. We use available data to identify beneficiaries.
Information and education
Utilise our civil society network for Information, education and communication on COVID-19 prevention to targeted groups for wide dissemination.
Training to prevent spread
Train our volunteers as on-the-ground community health supporters and mentor compliance inspectors within local communities.
Gather and gauge public sentiment
We will continue to feel the pulse of the ground as well as document intelligence and keep the government apprised of key issues of concern amongst Lagosians for positive and impactful decision making in government.
Accountability AND Transparency
We will fulfil our mandate with the utmost transparency and good corporate governance. There will be transparency and accountability as donor funds will mainly go directly to people in need. It will be possible to have traceability and visibility in real time on the amounts spent as well as on the number of beneficiaries who have actually received financial assistance.
We will be accountable to:
Where your donation money goes
Get involved
Become a Founding partner with the COVID-19 Relief Fund.