Coronavirus Response Update

The Livingstone Tanzania Trust are taking the threat and spread of coronavirus very seriously and our primary concern is the health and well-being of the people we work with in Tanzania, our partner organisation and our staff, volunteers and supporters here in the UK.

With Tanzania having its first recorded case, the Government there has taken steps to close schools and prevent public gatherings and we are monitoring their actions daily. Given that the schools are closed, our team are working closely with the Head Teachers to ensure income generation projects can continue during this difficult time.

We have also taken further steps:

 1. We have provided our team with detailed information specific to the virus to help them be clear about the facts surrounding it and not be fooled by fake information which is circulating around some social media sites.

2. We are restricting group meetings and reviewing how we carry out training and provide support to farmers in our agricultural programmes.

3. We are supporting our delivery partners to make preparations to enable them to be working from home as the pandemic evolves.

 In the UK, we all work from home, but we have cancelled meetings and are not planning to attend events and conferences.

Because we are home workers, we remain available to you and our team in Tanzania and will continue to fund raise for projects as best we can to ensure we can meet future project needs.

For those adjusting to working at home, or perhaps undergoing self-isolation, we know only too well the importance of taking good care of your physical and mental health whilst you are on your own for most of the day. Get some fresh air daily if you can and keep checking in with friends and family online. In addition, you might want to look at Covid Mutual Aid UK (covidmutualaid.org), they are helping coordinate local community groups who are providing mutual aid throughout the outbreak. If you think you might need some help, such as with grocery deliveries, or indeed, would like to volunteer to support vulnerable households in your community, they can help make those connections.

 Finally, over the years LTT have kept aside enough reserves to allow us to continue to support our community partners for some months, in the event of an unforeseen and negative situation. However, as this unprecedented global challenge develops, we will closely monitor our fundraising performance. We are committed to do everything we can to provide support and guidance and will of course continue to keep you posted.

 Many thanks for your support and keep safe.