Jul 2 20
Getting ready for the reopening of places of worship during COVID-19 in Bangui
Following a public announcement from the government of the Central African Republic (CAR) to reopen restaurants and places of worship, the citizens became excited. Nevertheless, Covid-19 cases are rising in the country. This shows that social distancing and washing hands are still necessary. Community leaders are taking the responsibility of guiding their communities. They want to ensure preventive measures are observed when people go to places of worship. Pastor Guy Bombiba, one of the RELAY Community Network’s leaders in CAR, has decided to set an example by placing a handwashing facility at the entrance of his church’s premises. He is…
Jun 20 20
On the World Refugee Day 2020, RELAY Community Network celebrates the work of its leaders
Over the past 3 years, REFUNITE, in partnership with community leaders and members, have been building “Relay”, a communications project we call a “trust layer” of information sharing, by enabling verified leaders to digitally share critical information with their constituents at scale. More than 9,600 leaders across more than 150 communities in 15+ countries have joined the network, using our technology to communicate with close to 8,2 million people, many of whom have no other access to verified and reliable information than Relay. In these times of coronavirus, our ability to communicate trusted information has never been more important. …
Jun 10 20
RELAY Community Network leader fights fake news on COVID-19 in CAR
As Coronavirus swipes the world, the city of Bangui wasn’t spared by the pandemic. By the time we wrote this article, the Central African Republic registered 1,850 confirmed cases, 38 recoveries, and 5 deaths. With the fake news phenomenon on social media, Central Africans quickly found themselves surrounded by myths and misinformation about the virus. Fake news could be found on the country’s favorite platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. Understanding the issue, Martin Ben-Bala decided to do something to quash this problem. Martin is a member of the Congolese diaspora community and one of the leaders that integrate the…
Jun 1 20
Leader of Relay Community Network works on social distancing campaign in rural areas of D.R. Congo
In early April 2020, many remote villages away from major cities in D.R. Congo were still learning to navigate between myths and reality about COVID-19 as the country announced its first confirmed cases. That was the case in the Rutshuru territory. One of the leaders of Relay Community Network took action after receiving the World Health Organization guidelines to sensitize his community in the Bwito local collectivity. The Bwito local collectivity is a region made of 7 local tribal groups, 80 notabilities which are divided into 37 major village centers. This vast community with over 82,000 people represents the constituents…
May 28 20
RELAY Community Network leader donates hand-washing facilities to Rutshuru
The leaders who are part of the RELAY Community Network in Africa exchange vital information and skills. Quite commonly, the news and ideas from leaders cross borders and inspire people in different parts of the continent. Roger Musoka, a Congolese leader from Rutshuru town, in D.R. Congo, was looking for a way to support his community in the fight against COVID-19 when he learned about other leader’s activities and innovation in Tanzania and Nigeria. Musoka wanted to make sure the inhabitants of Rutshuru town would follow the basic practices established by the WHO to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Therefore,…
May 20 20
RELAY SMS tool supports local NGO’s operations in Uganda
The RELAY SMS Tool, powered by REFUNITE, is a communication platform that enables community leaders as well as NGOs to send unlimited national and international SMS messages to constituents and beneficiaries to share vital information like food distribution, community meetings, security alert, teachings, etc. Bondeko Refugee Livelihoods Centre is a Ugandan refugee-led NGO with several programs aimed at enhancing livelihoods for refugees. Their activities include the provision of educational, counseling, and vocational skill training services to empower refugees – especially the youth and women -, and support them to become highly productive people in the social and economic spheres of…
May 11 20
“Bringing leaders to Relay Community Network is an opportunity to serve humanity”
Meet Christelle Kimana Kamanzi, our Call Center agent responsible for bringing new leaders to our Relay Community Network project. We asked her to share her perspective on the impact of the work she carries out. “I’ve been working with REFUNITE for almost two years now and my experience has been exciting. My day-to-day work involves identifying potential leaders and inviting them to join the Relay Community Network. I’ m currently focused on the network expansion into Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Nigeria. I believe the Relay Community Network is a treasure we have at REFUNITE because it’s an effective communication channel…
May 6 20
RELAY Community Network’s leaders support the people affected by the floods in Uvira
Last April, heavy rains had poured for three consecutive days in Uvira, a Democratic Republic of Congo’s city that borders Bujumbura, capital of Burundi. The massive floodwaters affected over 80,000 people and killed dozens. Several families had to be rescued as they were stranded inside their homes or standing on the roof of the houses. They were assisted when the MONUSCO (UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) teams got to the affected area to support the community. Tharcisse Mateso Kakulibo, a local RELAY Community Network’s representative reached out to other community leaders to organize a local emergency…
Apr 30 20
“Les envoyés de REFUNITE” against COVID-19
Relay Community Network’s leaders based in Kananga, DRC, have worked together as a team and used the local radio stations to inform their community about COVID-19. Kananga is the capital city of the Kasai-Central Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a town of 1,272 million people. Due to its terrain and geographic location compared to the rest of the country, almost half of the inhabitants of Kananga don’t have access to electricity which slows down access to information. Five of the Relay Community Network’s members in DRC – Etienne Tshisekedi Kabalwapa, Bernadette Mbombo, José Kalala, Sylvain Kabuanga, and…
Apr 23 20
If every community leader could stand up and join this fight, Africa would beat COVID-19
When early cases of the novel Coronavirus were being confirmed in Africa, Solomon Shehu Jatawa reached out to REFUNITE. He asked for support to equip himself with knowledge and ideas that could help him take the right steps to protect his community of Postikum town in Nigeria. Solomon Shehu Jatawa, who is a member of RELAY Community Network, took action after receiving various COVID-19 prevention printable materials and protective guidelines. He engaged his community in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 through sensitization and awareness daily, distribution of hand washing facilities and locally made reusable facial masks. “The WHO’s protection guidelines…
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