HOW SASAMANI RESPONDS TO COVID-19 IN BAGAMOYO, TANZANIA

​Dear Sasamani Family and Supporters, 

COVID-19 continues to present unprecedented, heartbreaking challenges to communities around the globe, and if you are reading this now, wherever you are, we hope you are safe and healthy. As the world faces the devastating impact of this pandemic, it is the Sasamani Foundation’s priority to ensure that our community in Bagamoyo is safe, supported and empowered during this constantly evolving global crisis.

​The effects of this pandemic are great for Sasamani students, tailors, and their families, who are increasingly vulnerable to income-loss, food shortage and exposure to the virus. As the Bagamoyo community limits social contact, local businesses are struggling, including our 7 tailors, who rely on income from customer demand to support themselves and their families.

With schools shut down, our 75 sponsored students are staying home with their families, many of whom are similarly losing essential income. In turn, parents and caregivers are limited in their capacity to put food on the table and to maintain good health.

Tialda, Denise, Gladness, and Elias have been working tirelessly to rapidly institute COVID-19 relief projects for our families. Our staff in the U.S. has been working with Gladness and Elias to identify the most urgent needs in Bagamoyo, and in turn, the team has developed strategies to meet those needs effectively and efficiently. We are currently mobilizing to implement four new initiatives to best support our Sasamani community:

• Facemask Initiative
  Following the guidance of the WHO, we are mobilizing to make and distribute cloth facemasks to the community to slow the spread of the virus, while also generating income for our tailors. The Foundation is employing our 7 tailors to produce cloth masks, which we aim to distribute to 82 Sasamani families, 4 hospitals, and 3 orphanages.
• Backyard Garden Initiative
  Food scarcity is imminent in Bagamoyo, and we are working to provide our families with seeds and gardening equipment to grow their own sustainable food source in their backyard. Out of our 82 families, 62 have space and capability to start backyard gardens, and we hope to raise enough funds to provide all 62 families with seeds, fertilizers and mosquito nets to produce their own crops.
• Books for Home-schooling
  With schools closed, it is our priority to support our students' learning. We are working to distribute school books and exercise books so that our 75 Sasamani students can continue their education from home, including preparation for their exams in October.
• Food and Soap Distribution
  With the help of Sasamani's supporters, we are working to fundraise to distribute dry goods and soap to ensure that our 82 families have access to food and sanitation supplies. It is through the generosity of our Sasamani family and supporters that these efforts are made possible, and we have started a Go Fund Me campaign to fundraise for our four relief initiatives.

​Your support allows us to move forward in implementing these programs, so we can reach as many members of our Sasamani community and broader Bagamoyo community as possible.

​As we speak, we are pivoting to support our community in any way we can, while also prioritizing the health and safety of our staff. In the weeks and months to come, the Sasamani Foundation  will continue to act on the pressing mission to empower our families and staff, tapping into our resiliency and love for our Bagamoyo community in combatting the impacts of the pandemic.