ETHIOPIA: Church Responding with Love in Times of Coronavirus

Habtamu Abrdew Beture

The Ethiopian Catholic Church has provided additional support to respond to the combat of the COVID 19 in the country facing rising numbers of daily Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections as a way to enhance the campaign and combat the disease.

This, the Church has done by providing PPEs (Personal Protection Equipment) to Hospitals and Health institutes in the country.

The Church in collaborations with international partners financed US $324,000 for purchase and transportation of equipment to 9 hospitals ,30 health centres, 51 clinics and 18 elderly care centres in 4 regional States.

Mr. Bekele Moges Executive Director of the Social Development Commission of the Ethiopian Catholic Church explained that the equipment is consisting of surgical masks, surgical gowns and surgical gloves were distributed to the 87 Health institutes found in 7 Regional States and an administrative town in the country.

According to his explanation, it is estimated that 1.5 million people will benefit from this particular project.

The Executive director explained that the Church so far mobilized 758,427.00 USD to contribute to the response of combating the spread of the virus. With this amount, the church is organizing awareness raising programs, medical staff trainings on protection measures of COVID-19.

The Church has distributed sanitization materials, personal protection equipment, printed informative materials and display of bill boards in public areas and towns in the country.

On his part, Fr Dr Teshome Fikre the Secretary General of the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat said the Catholic Church in Ethiopia is serving the people without any discrimination in health, education, sanitation, clean water supply, immigration and returnees’ rehabilitations.

More than 7 million people benefit from the Church every year in the entire country specially the marginalized, underprivileged members of the community and who has less access to the mentioned services.

Currently the activities of the church in Ethiopia are highly affected due to the pandemic as people are locking themselves at home for months with continued restrictions and limited activities. The number of infected people is increasing and the death toll counts is also high.

All of our church buildings and properties have been closed for more than five months so much that the faithful and clergy are suffering due to inability to gather for prayers and liturgies.

Communion in worship and prayers are moved into homes within the family setup. Television transmissions and other unfamiliar means using new technologies are being used to bring God’s Word and prayer life into the homes.

Currently the Ministry of Health has announced that 672,637 samples have been tested and confirmed cases are scaled to 34,058 with the death toll at 600.