It’s no secret, the pandemic has not only changed our lives forever, but it has impacted the lives of folks across the globe in profoundly different ways. As the majority of countries in the northern hemisphere have opened their borders, schools and restaurants, many countries in the ‘global south’ are months, if not years away from any sort of return to normalcy. With weak and at times an absence of leadership in conjunction with misinformation plaguing populations across the spectrum, many people have been left behind in terms of economic recovery, and a return to anything close to life as we once knew it.
In many East African countries, schools have yet to return to in-person learning in a full-time capacity. With an absence of accessible and affordable internet connection across the region, students have been forced out of their studies. Many have either dropped out of school altogether, or have yet to open a textbook or receive any type of instruction for over 16 months. The situation is dire, and there is no end in sight.
Many of us, understandably, have not gone great lengths to understand how the pandemic has impacted communities who, even before the pandemic, were struggling to receive basic human services. Though folks in the ‘west’ are not out of the woods yet, vaccines are widely available, hospitals are less overwhelmed, schools have reopened, and people are back to in-person work in many cases. The unfortunate reality is that entire populations have been left behind. It is vital that civil society actors step up and fill a critical void.
The last 16 months have taught us that everything is fragile. With the proliferation of misinformation, leadership failures across the board, and natural disasters plaguing our global community, we have seen how quickly our communities can crumble. Through these dark times, we have also witnessed a renewed sense of social and political activism amongst many of our neighbors. People young and old have come together in the name of change, advocating for a brighter future for us all. Since its founding, a central pillar of TNF’s mission has been exactly that — when people come together to create change, the impossible is achievable. People have this power, they just need the right vehicles to activate it.
Our staff and donor community have gone great lengths to help the communities we serve. Through the mobilization of over 1,000 tons of food, the creation of unique academic engagement models, and by providing ad-hoc support to our partners, TNF has been successful in providing a lifeline to students, staff, and families in our zones of operation. This work has no end in sight, and we have made a commitment to continue our critical crisis response work for the foreseeable future.
In this digital age, we have the tools to understand global problems and mobilize innovate solutions to solve them. TNF is working around the clock to find new ways to engage the masses, and bring them under the change making tent. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in volunteering, fundraising, running advocacy campaigns and more, follow this link, and turn ideas, passion, and creativity into action.
