With a Catastrophe Looming for Africa, Funders Need to Focus on Community-based Responses

The COVID-19 virus has already wreaked havoc across the United States and Europe and shows little sign of stopping soon. Loved ones are sick and dying, businesses are shuttered, movement is restricted, workers go without wages and children go without school. Health systems are stretched beyond their limits. But as philanthropists, we must also pause now to consider the next wave of devastation that is coming as COVID-19 takes hold in low- to middle-income countries.

It is already becoming evident that the virus is spreading rapidly into the developing world—including Africa, where its impact is likely to be devastating.

At this stage, there is no question that the virus will cause deep damage in Africa. The questions are about the full scope and severity, and how societies are left in its wake.

Now is the time to act. To prevent and prepare to cope. And this is where philanthropy can help.

Why Should We Care About Africa?

If you picture only poverty and need when you think of Africa—you are mistaken. Six of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world are African. One in three Africans are defined as “middle class.” Africa has brilliant, vibrant, progressive and diverse populations, thinkers and leaders.

But in many African countries, scarce government resources make for weak healthcare systems, scant human resources in the public health sector, and limited access. For many African countries, the current health burden includes tuberculosis, malaria and cholera, just to name a few. The continent already faces significant challenges of population disparity—with many cities swelling and rural areas remote. And COVID-19 is also hitting Africa as the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues. The population at risk is significant and the possibility of adding another virus is a deeply concerning one.

Why Should We Consider Supporting Community in the Face of COVID-19?

African community capacity has shown us repeatedly that it is one of the most important and precious elements of society. In the face of hardship and challenge—time and time again, through famine, pandemics, drought, flood—African communities have shown resilience and have managed to respond in ways that not only protect the most vulnerable, but allow for people to help each other. But too often, African community-based organizations are invisible to the rest of the world—seen as too small, too local, too immature. The truth is they are none of those things, especially when confronted with the multidimensional needs created by a pandemic.

Communities and families are often the only social safety net that exists: African extended families and the communities that surround them are the social safety net—especially in areas that are not well serviced by government—and the capacity of the community and community-based organizations to support families is the only resource that many individuals have to survive and thrive.

Experience shows us that community-based organizations are even more critical in times such as these: The AIDS epidemic that ravaged southern and eastern Africa showed the world how critical community-based organizations were to prevention, treatment, care and support of those impacted by the virus. Over decades of coping with AIDS, community organizations not only grew into community health mechanisms, they also acted as universal safety nets, supporting family livelihoods and caring for the children of the struggling, stigmatized, sick or deceased.

Community organizations will be on the front lines of preparedness: Many community-based organization grantees are already being briefed by central governments on how they will be expected to contribute to COVID-19 prevention efforts—not only because they can act as extensions of often sparse government health systems, but also because they can deliver important prevention and de-stigmatization messages that are critical in any government preparedness or response.

Community organizations will be on the front lines of response: In areas where access to government is scarce, community-based organizations are often at the front lines of response. They are best able to identify the families most in need, best able to support the children of parents who are sick or quarantined, best able to rally the resources to help others cope.

Community organizations are authentic communicators when it is needed the most: Stigma, rumor and superstition often have to be countered in any pandemic threat, and community-based organizations are critically placed to authentically counter any behaviors or beliefs that might be detrimental in the face of the threat.

Community organizations can help if darker forces take hold: In many places, the devastation wrought by something like COVID-19 may also give rise to dark forces such as nationalism, tribalism, conflict and violence—be it ethnic, tribal, religious, economic or state-sponsored. Community-based organizations can mitigate these forces and must be valued for this critical work.

Community organizations will be on the front lines of recovery: In many places, devastation of this magnitude—of lives, of families, of livelihoods, of economies—will be deeply felt. People will suffer extreme loss on multiple dimensions, and community-based organizations will be critical in helping with recovery.

Community-based organizations allow families to stay together: During the HIV/AIDS crisis, many children were separated from their families through loss or extreme hardship and found themselves in orphanages. Community-based organizations support families to stay together and prevent child-family separation.

What Can Philanthropists Do?

If you are not already funding in Africa, consider doing so now.

Consider the possibility of supporting organizations in an environment that has less capacity to cope with another global pandemic in countries that have not yet recovered from the last one.

Avoid supporting outside-in approaches that compete with local capacity.

HIV/AIDS showed us that we must support work that reinforces local organizations and networks rather than competing with them. Philanthropists should first and foremost support community-led organizations and the structures around them. There is a real risk of undermining community and family coping capacity if we don’t take this approach.

If you are already funding in Africa, don’t stop now.

Evidence is strong from past epidemics and health crises that resources are often diverted away from pre-existing preventative or general social programs and toward responding to the outbreak. This includes critical support for education, women, adolescents, livelihoods, climate human rights, children’s rights, child protection and more.

If you are worried that your funding is currently going to “other” things—don’t worry.

Crises often mean that those who are already vulnerable become subject to more risk than ever before, so please don’t stop what you are doing. This is particularly relevant for women and children. For example:

Women and girls often bear a much larger caregiver burden than other members of the population when disaster strikes. The expectations that women and girls will care for the sick also expose them to more risk, while the same social norms mean that women and girls are the last to receive care.
Crises exacerbate age, gender and disability inequalities, and place women, girls and other vulnerable populations—such as LGBTQIA individuals—at increased risk of violence.
Children and adolescents face additional protection risks. Very young children are particularly vulnerable in times of crisis, especially in communities with a high concentration of poverty, lack of access to healthcare, child care, adequate nutrition and family support.
The stress of a crisis and ensuring emotional and economic toil often leads to increased cases of spousal and child abuse.
Economic fallout from crises can often lead to an increased need for girls to marry early or to enter into transactional sex.
Families are at risk of losing jobs, income and job protections, which will all have serious impacts on children.

If you are already funding in Africa, reach out to your grantees.

Ask them about what the immediate, medium-term and potentially long-term impact might be of COVID-19 on them, on the work that they have been funded by you to engage in, and on their communities as a whole.

Be flexible.

Restrictions on movement have been issued in many African countries, which will likely postpone or delay the work they committed to do under the grant that you made possible. This will have implications on their programming, their outcomes and the communities that they are serving. Make it safe for them to be transparent with you—without punishment—if they cannot meet their planned activities, objectives or outcomes. In addition, ask your grantee partners to stay attuned and to keep you updated about any changes in their community and any actions they might be required to take to prepare for or respond to the virus.

Realize that they may need emergency or “hold-over” funds from you right now.

If they can move around, they may need your help and financial support to do it safely. But if they do ask you for a pause or extension on activities and outcomes, this will have a negative impact on their cash flows. They might need your help to retain staff (especially specialty staff) or pay for indirect costs while activities are on hold.

Realize that they might soon be called on to do something very different from that which you agreed in your grant, and may need your support in a different way.

Civil society organizations—especially those at the grassroots—may soon be called on to help governments respond to the COVID-19 virus. Ask them if they need funding from you to do this. It is not your job to make up for the financial constraints of government, but philanthropy has a critical role to continue supporting civil society organizations during crises such as these.

Support your grantees if there are crackdowns on civil society.

Be aware that in times of crisis, no matter how critical civil society might be, governments are at risk of cracking down on dissenting voices, especially if they tell a story that is not in keeping with the “official line.” Please continue to stand with civil society in this time of need.

What Can You Do Next?

If you don’t need to give through a US 501(c)(3), consider giving to these incredible indigenous funds that act as grantmakers to their own communities.

If you have to give through a US 501(c)(3), consider these organizations that specialize in supporting the independent, autonomous actions of local communities in various areas:

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Nina Blackwell is Executive Director of Firelight, a multi-donor public charity fund that raises money from foundations, individuals and institutions to support community-based organizations in eastern and southern Africa. Learn more.