Working with our partner the Uganda Orthodox Medical Bureau, and with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah of Kampala and All Uganda, IOCC has helped ensure that local Orthodox parishes in the country have the equipment and training they need to safely operate during the pandemic.
Following an initial shutdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Ugandan authorities allowed houses of worship to resume services with certain specific measures in place. Among these were requirements that handwashing and other hygiene supplies be in place, that education materials be shared and displayed, and that clergy complete training in infection prevention.
Many of Uganda’s 65 Orthodox parishes were unable to meet these requirements on their own, given the cost of the equipment and training. The pandemic has compounded hardship for many in a country where poor health and poverty are common.
The IOCC-UOMB program supplied most of Uganda’s Orthodox parishes with much-needed PPE supplies and COVID-19 prevention messaging, and trained religious leaders and parishioners in ways to curb the virus’s spread. Handwashing stands, soap and sanitizer, masks, and WHO messaging materials are just some of the items each parish received. With new equipment and safety measures in place, parishes could once more safely welcome their people for worship.
