Our Response to COVID-19

From Sergio Bersaglio, Executive Director of Villages of Hope: Africa Society:

In light of the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we want to make our VOH community aware of our response as we continue to bring hope to children in need in Africa. Although the countries where our VOH Centers are located have not been impacted to the degree that we have been here in Canada, we are beginning to see some initial confirmed cases throughout the continent.

It is our full intention to continue providing care to the children at VOH. The way that we do this, however, may in some cases look different than usual as we comply with all measures and laws being set by the various local governments where we work.

We have directed all VOH Africa locations to comply with government measures being put in place. We are further asking all of our VOH centers to comply with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for the prevention of contracting and/or spreading COVID-19.

Even in the midst of this crisis, VOH Africa and each of its centers will continue to uphold our child safeguarding policy to ensure every VOH child is protected.

We are thankful for the caring and dedicated men and women who provide leadership and care for the children at our 10 VOH locations. Among these are Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) global workers and volunteers. These Global Workers are communicating directly with the PAOC regarding their safety and wellbeing. As VOH Africa, we support the decisions made by Global Workers as they plan their personal response to this pandemic.

We have suspended all upcoming teams and volunteers until further notice. We have also cancelled all events and public gatherings until local governments and the World Health Organization state it is safe to return to regular activities.

In the upcoming weeks, we will continue to share the changes we are implementing at each Village in order to adhere to local authorities and recommendations by the WHO. The safety and wellbeing of our staff and those in our care is our primary concern.

If you are looking for ways to support us during this time, here are some ways you can help:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your faithful support and prayers. Without you, we would not be able to provide the care that we do and hope to continue to provide during these uncertain times.

Regarding our blog and social media posts:

Due to COVID-19, our Weekly News posts and blogs will be a little different. We have made some changes due to COVID-19. We want to stay connected with you and keep you updated on how things are going at our various Villages; however, we also want to ensure we are following all government regulations and World Health Organization guidelines to ensure the health and safety of our children and staff. Here are some things that will be different: 

  • We are no longer holding any events or gatherings, so updates will be related to construction, COVID-19 prevention methods, and staff/children stories.
  • We no longer require photos with each story, this means some stories will have photos and others won’t. This is to ensure no one has to leave home in order to take a picture for a weekly news story.
  • We are giving each Village the flexibility to skip a week in order to give our Directors a break when they need it.
  • We will also include occasional updates on the presence of COVID-19 in Africa and, specifically, in the countries where we work. Please do not rely on us as your primary news source, though. Please follow reputable news sites for more thorough, and up-to-date information. Our updates will be brief and will be dated and sourced.

Support VOH children and families during COVID-19 by giving Hope Packs!

Each package contains:

  • 1 bottle of liquid hand soap
  • 2kgs of nutritious porridge
  • reusable face masks (with use and care instructions)
  • children’s multi-vitamins
  • a COVID-19 safety handout

Each HOPE Pack costs $20.

Donate Hope Packs
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