Worried that there are people suffering at home from COVID-19 that have not come forward, businessman Strive Masiyiwa, through his Higher Life Foundation (HLF), called upon them to come forward on their own and report their status so that they can get assistance worth US$50 per month.
Masiyiwa, whose HLF now offers free COVID-19 testing, wants to identify and support anyone who is currently suffering from the disease but has no real incentive to come forward. The foundation is offering food, water, blankets, airtime and medicines, among other forms of support, for a period of up to three months.
A Special Econet hotline has been set up for people suffering from the disease to call-in for free. They will then be offered a free test after answering some questions over the phone.
Another team at Econet’s Call Center is able to support the government with #Rapid Contact tracing.
Strive Masiyiwa has recently stepped up his efforts to help Zimbabweans deal with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic through an initiative he has often talked about, called the #HomeBased Initiative.
Here is what he said about it on his FaceBook page:
#OneFightAgainstCorona (Part 9)
__ Be kind. Be clean. Be safe. Plan ahead for the worst, without delay.
I served on the board of the world’s greatest foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, for 15 years. I went there to learn about philanthropy. One of the things I learnt was that philanthropists try to catalyze the change they want to see. They know they don’t have the money to do it by themselves, but they hope to demonstrate a solution which can then be scaled by others.
My initiative called #ReImagineRural is a classic example of trying to catalyze change. Our solar power initiative in Zimbabwe called Ndolwane mini-grid is one example of what can be done in every village around the world.
A very progressive Head of State of a country in West Africa, recently read about our mini-grid and asked for details, as he wants to roll out such mini-grids throughout his country. I was completely blown away and offered them all the technical assistance.
FastForward: Our new #Home-Based Care Initiative:
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, I realized that most of the people who get sick in Africa will suffer from their homes, rather than in hospitals, simply because our hospitals cannot cope. I said there just was not enough time in most instances to get hospitals ready, even though we should try. India and China have built hospitals in weeks that can handle 10,000 people!
I proposed that African governments adopt what I called #Home-Based Care Initiative. Here is how it works: When someone gets sick, the government, working with faith organizations and professional healthcare volunteers (ALWAYS wearing appropriate PPEs and taking proper precautions) should visit the person’s home, and offer the following assistance for a period of three months whilst they recover:
#1. Ensure that the COVID-positive person’s home is warm and dry, even if it is a shack;
#2. Ensure that the COVID-positive person has access to warm healthy meals every single day;
#3. Ensure that the COVID-positive persons have access to fresh water every day;
#4. Ensure that the COVID-positive has access to medical assistance, even if it is simply the ability to talk to someone on the phone. At Econet in Zimbabwe we have a “Dial A Doc” hotline (147) to call to talk to doctors;
#5. Give support to the COVID-positive person’s family, particularly if they are living with children, who may also be infected. Such support is required for a period of three months, and would cost be up to US$50. It is not very much but it also helps the country to contain COVID-19 effectively.
Remember my formula for fighting COVID-19:
I-Inform;
T-Test;
T-Trace Contacts;
I-Isolate;
T-Treatment [however limited the medial options]
#ITTIT
This week I’m pleased to announce that the Higherlife Foundation is launching a pilot of the Home-Based Care Initiative, which I hope the whole of Africa will consider adopting. Under the program we will offer a package of support to every single person who has tested COVID-19 positive. (We already offer free testing, for anyone who thinks they are positive). In particular, we are interested in anyone suffering at home who is doing so quietly and unreported.
They must first call us on our Dial A Doc Hotline: 147. We will immediately test them and their families for free. If they test positive for the coronavirus, we will activate our free Home-Based Care Support Initiative which includes:
# Family support valued at up to up to US$50 per month per family for up to three months.
# Blankets, food, water, and free airtime (to call us for assistance) for up to three months.
Our only interest is to help people and stop the disease from spreading to others, including to loved ones at home who could be more vulnerable to the worst symptoms of the coronavirus.
Make no mistake, this is a fight for our lives.
Yes, this initiative is only in Zimbabwe, but I want you to engage those in your own community who are able to do the same. It’s important to do this safely, and it’s critical we plan ahead urgently!
#SolutionSeekers across Africa, we need you, too, to do your part…
This thing is spreading fast, and we have to all raise our game before it is too late.
#ThisIsHowWeFight!
