Living Goods is a non-profit organisation operating in Africa that aims to “save lives at scale by supporting digitally empowered community health workers.” At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Living Goods and its partners promptly responded in Kenya, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone. Aligned with their central missions, the organisation focuses on supporting and protecting community health workers during the pandemic. They provide health workers with personal protection equipment (PPE) and advocates that governments include health workers in their PPE procurement calculations and increase compensation for health workers.

As vaccines now become available, Living Goods supports governments to prepare for the successful and equitable distribution of vaccines in rural areas. The organisation encourages early vaccination among frontline health workers and other high-risk populations and focuses on combating vaccine hesitancy.

At the level of community, Living Goods uses digital technologies including an e-learning platform and a two-way SMS messaging platform to facilitate communication and training for the Living Goods staff and the health workers they support. The organisation has trained its staff and community health workers in COVID-19 prevention, early case detection, reporting procedures, and personal safety measures. Similar training has been also provided to 12,700 healthcare workers across seven counties in Kenya.

 Learn more about Living Goods’ initiatives and donate at https://livinggoods.org/covid-19/ and https://vimeo.com/578025972.