Dorcas

Dorcas is also delivering vital medical and personal protective equipment (PPE) to health institutions in the Great Rift Valley region. We have contributed to the set-up of a quarantine centre that is helping isolate those who become infected with the virus quickly and efficiently. The centre has been designed in compliance with guidance issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This is just one element of our three-month emergency response in Shashamane town - an urban commercial centre that serves as a hub for many villages and towns in the region. Besides its 300,000 strong population, Shashamane is also visited by more than 30,000 travellers every day. These movements combined with the town's geographic location and socioeconomic status has left residents highly susceptible to an outbreak. As there is no COVID-19 testing centre in Shashamane, we have facilitated the transportation of samples to Adama town - a two-hour drive north - for testing. We have also laid the groundwork for the introduction of a testing centre in Shashamane which will help us manage and trace the spread as cases continue to rise. Each individual response is designed in compliance with official WHO guidance - and continuously reviewed to ensure we are meeting local public health standards.