COVID-19 Pandemic Response
In just a matter of weeks, our world has changed drastically. Social distancing is our new reality for protecting those who are the most at risk in our communities. MCW's work is inherently social and community-focused, and we have taken quick action to adapt during these challenging times.
We understand the economic and emotional toll this crisis has taken on communities - especially those we serve. To deliver needed programs and services, MCW has maintained critical staff with the difficult decision of suspending new hires and filling staff vacancies. In Tanzania, Rwanda, and Zambia, where our affiliates operate, governments have temporarily closed schools and training centers. As international travel restrictions remain enforced, the opportunity to bring young leaders from around the world is no longer realistic.
With an unpredictable future, difficult cutbacks to our Africa Programs will prevent us from delivering essential upgrades needed for reaching educational excellence, including updated equipment for IT and tailoring students. Our Young Leaders Program will not be able to hold its in-person program, preventing critical social interactions. While we have made cuts to our budget with as minimal impact on our programs as possible, we are confident MCW will be in a position to continue to positively impact leaders and communities with your support.
As we evaluate and navigate this uncertain time, we hope you and your loved ones are in good health. We believe leadership amidst these challenging times continues to be one of the strongest ways to address communities' needs.
In times like this, the work of MCW is more crucial than ever before and our team is passionately working towards a bright future. Our team and global leaders are in it for the long haul - we hope you can join us too!
We truly appreciate everyone's support over the last 20 years.
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Dr.Betson and his colleagues tailored e-learning material to improve students' engagement while out of the classroom."Online learning tools and social media have made it easy for dental therapy students to maintain the social component of group learning," states Dr. Betson. Through social media, dental therapy students can interact with each other and ask questions and get feedback from their professors, facilitating the learning process.
Access to accurate information about COVID-19 continues to be a challenge for communities around the world. Many people find themselves confused about what information to follow and which guidelines to enforce in their households. To minimize the virus's spread, MC-Tanzania has stepped up its efforts by working with dental therapists from MCW’s Dental Outreach Training Program. MC-Tanzania shares digital messages from the World Health Organization's Africa Region and Tanzania's Ministry of Health Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children with dental therapists to distribute around their communities. After graduating, dental therapists are placed across the country, including in some of Tanzania's most rural areas, to serve the population's oral health needs. They act as a resource to their community and share accurate information about the pandemic, often debunking coronavirus myths.
Across the continent of Africa, daily visits to the marketplace function as a part of everyday life. Limited access to refrigerators for everyday people to use in Rwanda means perfectly calculated portions of fish, poultry, and other ingredients to prepare meals for the day. COVID-19 has posed severe challenges to this otherwise routine task of picking up food items from the market. The infrastructure of bustling markets can make it difficult to practice social distancing. Due to the fact, that markets are prone to overcrowding MC-Rwanda is continuing to step up its efforts to reduce the spread of the virus in the Bugesera District. MC-Rwanda has collaborated with the local government to install traditional hand washing stations in the Kayenzi Market. W.A.S.H stations (water, sanitation, and hygiene) do not require touching knobs to access water for cleaning one’s hands. W.A.S.H stations enable people to use their feet to release water, which reduces the possibility of recontamination.
