Assessing the effectiveness on the provision of social services

Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) in conjunction with Gwanda Community Economic Justice Development Trust, conducted an advocacy meeting aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the provision of service delivery in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The global pandemic which has put the world on hold has threatened the health sector as infants who were supposed to get immunized through their periodical immunization are being deprived of these services. Factors that are worsening the hastened halt to immunization services include long travelling distances to the nearest health facility due to limited access to public transportation.

The limit in public transportation continues to worsen and some members of the community are failing to adhere to the regulations of immunization that are fundamental for the growth and the development of their infants.

“ZUPCO buses are not reaching to Ward 22 so it is hard for us to travel to the nearby clinics,” said Qhubile from ward 22.

During the meeting, it came to light that most of residents in Gwanda are not getting adequate information about the global pandemic, especially when people are observing social distancing in their homes.

People are not putting their facial masks in absence of security agents which shows that residents are doing it in fear of arrest as opposed to protecting themselves from contracting the virus.

Informal traders are currently unable to sell their products so that they can get income for their upkeep and day to day living thus buying of day to day needs became a challenge.

Residents implored for the Government to intervene through supplying them with food hampers as most of Gwanda residents are informal traders.