The COVID-19 Safe Spaces Project for Women and Youths in Kontagora Community: A Rewarding Experience

As the Project Coordinator for Safe Spaces for Everyone, before I ever considered supporting excluded people, I had no idea how much joy it would give back to me. It’s a lot of sacrifices but so rewarding when you consider the positive impact on vulnerable and disadvantaged groups like women, children, and young people in rural communities. Our network has always loved helping under-served people but we feel so very lucky to have actually been able to do that in the past few years. 

At Safe Spaces for Everyone, we have been actively involved in various charitable causes in rural communities. Supporting the design, plan, and implementation of several development projects has opened up opportunities for women, youths, and children. It’s also changed the way we think about our role in these communities.

The positive feedback from community stakeholders and the recipients of our various activities have encouraged us to go above and beyond to effect change in our local communities. And so, this week, Safe Spaces for Everyone launched the COVID-19 Safe Spaces project to stem the unfortunate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable people, especially young women and young people in rural areas.

According to the United Nations Population Fund, if the lockdown continues for 6 months, there will be 31 million additional cases of gender-based violence. Sadly, that's just one of the negative effects of COVID-19 as it is already limiting women and young people's access to economic opportunities, leading to extreme poverty and hunger.

However, through the COVID-19 Safe Spaces project, I and a team of volunteers are implementing innovative activities that fit around women and youths affected by COVID-19. 

We have reached over 388 women and youths and plan to reach 1,000 more in the next three months if the pandemic persists. In small but effective ways, our network of volunteers is working towards a world where everyone (including people living in remote/ rural areas) can access economic, health, and social amenities, even during a pandemic.