The COVID-19 pandemic, that has erased human lives globally, has not spared the tourism business. The tourist guides are among the front service providers that spend most of the time with tourists. Their lives depend entirely on the tourists who travel to different places, that include countries and continents.
Uganda Safari Guides association is the umbrella association in Uganda that brings together hundreds of the tourist guides in the country. These include, bird guides, cultural guides, women birders, tourist drivers, and site guides and young birders not forgetting the sites guides that work on ecotourism sites.
Bird Uganda Safaris has been at the fore front supporting guides training, and of recent, we added more efforts on training young women in various skills which include bird guiding and life skills.
The Quarantine measures that were imposed to flatten the curve of the spread of the pandemic, have put the guides in high risk of starvation, domestic violence in their homes, and their children failing to go to school in future.
While we are very much concerned about their lives during this pandemic, we are also aware that we cannot give everything that is required for each and everybody in their homes.. The Government has been supporting vulnerable people who work hand to mouth on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the tourist guides were not put into this category.
Every other day, more guides run out of food in their homes. So far, the members have been trying to raise some funds to support the most vulnerable. The first group has already been supported.
We are now appealing for support. Everything small is something added. We shall send you an email after receiving your support. We shall also update you with the list of the members that have been supported.
Our main priority is women birders whom we have been training in the last 4 years, and some of them have not yet been employed, and other have lost their employment.
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FROM WHO
The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face.
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At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available.
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