ABSTRACT
The Muruku Clinic of Mary Immaculate is the oldest project of Slovak Doctors in Africa founded in 1999 by Sr. Mary Killeen and Prof. L. Soltes, working on an active survey of HIV especially in pregnant women, as well as OPD for basic diseases for two neighboring slums - Mukuru and St. Catherine. The aim of this research note is to describe the change of the spectrum of diseases just after Covid-19 pandemics in Kenya after first wave in 2020 just 20 years after founding of the clinic. When before 2000, malaria HIV, TB and STDs were the commonest diseases followed by multiple parasitic related anemia, after active screening and education against HIV the situation changed.
ABSTRACT
Background: International or development volunteering is recognized as an important tool for overcoming challenges of international development. In 2012 development volunteering has been defined and used as one of the tools of Official development assistance (ODA) of the Slovak Republic. In 2019, twenty- one applications by seven Slovak development organisations were approved and selected persons were sent on missions to thirteen low-income countries. However, in March-April 2020, after a strike of global pandemic COVID-19, ten of them returned immediately due to the country lockdown or closure of the project locations (schools, community centers), rendering them impossible to continue in volunteering activities. Therefore, year 2020 is presenting significant changes and challenges in volunteer management of nonprofits (IVCOs) because of an impact of COVID-19. Methods: A qualitative study design was used to collect data from development volunteers and their coordinators from particular Slovak development nonprofits in March-August 2020. After the content analysis of eighteen media products, eight semi-structured interviews and two focus group (FG) discussions followed. Collected data was analyzed thematically. Results: Three thematic areas where a different impact on the actors of volunteer management (including host and sending nonprofits, as well as donors) were identified: 1. Changes in delivery of Official development assistance (at institutional level impacting donors-IVCOs relations);2. An importance of new remote approach to volunteering (at individual level impacting volunteers' experience);3. An occurrence of internal issues within the nonprofits (at interpersonal level impacting IVCO-employees/volunteers relations). Two new approaches to volunteering came to the fore: online volunteering and support to local, community- level volunteers. Conclusions: This study shows how the COVID-19 affected particular missions of development volunteers: their field work, communication and contact with beneficiaries from vulnerable communities in low- income countries. Sending and host organizations are testing new online models and approaches to international volunteering (recently implemented to practice) while trying to get volunteers back into the field to make an impact. Stakeholders need to cooperate and share intelligence on risks, travel, and other restrictions to make this work. This requires continual following and comparison of up-to- date empirical research results in the field of international volunteering in the light of constant updates on prevention and elimination of the pandemic COVID-19.