NANA - Youth Eng. on prevention  Covid19 The world is currently facing a devastating scenario because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and all countries with confirmed cases are taking measures to react ranging from the lightest to the most severe to contain the transmission of the virus and protect people, especially to the most vulnerable.
The Mozambican government has also expressed its concerns in this regard and have put forward structural measures aimed at reducing the risk of infection by Covid-19. One of the measures taken was the declarationof State Emergency phase 3 as of 1 - 30 of April, then extended to 1 - 31 May 2020. The declaration of a state of emergency was accompanied by other related measures aimed at blocking the chain of contagion by Covid-19, such as the restriction of the number of people in the workplace, limitation of passengers number on public transport, obligation to wear masks in crowded places, closure of entertainment places,schools at all levels, among others.

The closure of schools, and social distance (includingconfinement of people at home), are in fact great measures to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, in many rural communities in Mozambique, due to factorsassociated with poverty, access to information is limited. TV and the Internet isaccessible to a very limited group of people, which contributes to (i) exposure of communities to Covid-19, by ignoring disease prevention measures; (ii) Limits access to distance education for thousands of boys and (iii) girls and women may be exposed to situations of Gender Based Violence.

Oxfam Mozambique designed its response strategy to COVID-19 and has been looking for potential donors to materialize its activities. The Education Program for Active Citizenship and its partners is responsible  for implementing a part of this response strategy to Covid-19, during theschool closing period, by (i) disseminating Covid-19 prevention messages, (ii) piloting, together with local education authorities,radio-schools, to guarantee the right to education inthe face of Covid-19 and (iii) support youth organizations to prevention and  raise alert for Gender Based Violence  in context of COVID 19, due to women and girls confinement and permanent exposure.

Young women and men are a valuable resource and network during crises and public health emergencies. Through their informal and formal groupsand networks, they can help to break the chain of infection by working closely with their community, including the health authorities. Young people's involvement inthe COVID-19 response should be encouraged as they are drivers of change and educators in their communities and among their peers. In general, they are highly mobile, fast movers, entrepreneurs, innovators and users of various online communication and social media that can be used to mobilize people in responding to and preventing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspired on the above, Oxfam Mozambique intends, through youth engagement, to trigger actions in order to respond to 2 components of response to COVID-19 in two districts of Zambezia province, specifically Mocuba district through our local implementing partner NANA and Nocoadala through aour Local youth implanting partner ARZ (Associação das Raparigas da Zambezia)

The management of the project on the ground will be under the leadership of NANA, which will ensure the mobilization of young people to engage in community awareness campaigns to prevent Covid-19. NANA will also work in partnership with another youth organization, ARZ, to join efforts to prevent and report potential situations of gender-based violence at the community level. Relevant stakeholders such as community authorities and district services will also be involved in the implementation of this initiative to ensure ownership and continuity.