Monrovia, Liberia - Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, Cities Alliance Liberia has shifted part of its country operations to supporting the Liberian government's containment measures through the provision of sanitation stations and through advocacy campaigns. This week, Cities Alliance, with the support of Comic Relief, donated 150 hygiene wash stations to the City Corporations of Monrovia and Paynesville. Such hygiene stations, allowing for people to wash their hands, are key to limiting the community spread of the virus. With clean, affordable, and running water in short supply in many of the cities' public spaces and slums, the city corporations had appealed for support to assist citizens to observe basic hygiene practices.
The donation included 150 water barrels, 200 buckets, 100 cartons of detergent, and 100 cartons of bleach.
"Cities Alliance has been working with the city of Monrovia over the years to address different kinds of challenges we’ve had. And we are currently working with Cities Alliance to develop the city development strategy, a long term initiative. Now that COVID-19 is here, Cities Alliance has become adaptive in her engagement with the city corporation to assist us after our appeal."
This marks the second donation of hygiene wash stations donated to the government of Liberia. On March 24, 2020, Cities Alliance, with support from Comic Relief, donated 75 wash stations to the major markets within Greater Monrovia.
Protective Equipment For Waste Management Sector
In addition to the water stations, Cities Alliance has also provided key workers in the community-based waste management sector with protective equipment. Keeping communities clean by removing infectious waste, these workers are at the frontline in fighting COVID-19. Their work has been further challenged by lock-down restrictions, limiting the time for collection, and the build-up of waste in many communities as a result. Given their risk of exposure, Cities Alliance provided masks, gloves, and cleaning products while also providing megaphones and reflective jackets to coordinators for the dissemination of information in the communities. A total of 40 community-based organisations benefitted from the donations.
The recent investments complement on-going country programme projects on waste management; Cities Alliance is currently implementing two projects on primary waste collection and waste-to-energy solutions in Greater Monrovia, both financed by the European Union. The first, Delivering Climate Resilient Solid Waste Management Services to Greater Monrovia through Community Based Enterprises, is working to expand community waste-management organisations through training and financial support. While the second project, Implementing Waste to Energy Innovative Approaches in Greater Monrovia, seeks to provide livelihood opportunities for vulnerable communities through innovation in the waste-management sector. Both projects have a strong emphasis on environmental protection and the strengthening of community resilience.
Cities Alliance, with the support of Comic Relief, is continuing to provide crucial support to the efforts of limiting the threat of COVID-19 in the country.
Read more:
Responding to the COVID-19 threat in Liberia
Liberia: the Opportunity in Waste Management
Climate action: Turning waste into energy in Liberia
Video: Waste Management in Greater Monrovia, Liberia
