(Photo courtesy UNICEF Canada) A UNICEF Staff member is washing his hands, in Abidjan, in the South of Côte d'Ivoire. As soon as the first cases of coronavirus appeared in Africa, UNICEF Côte d’Ivoire developed and implemented a communication strategy to raise awareness, reassure people and provide the right information to Ivorians. This emergency communications strategy uses various tools, partnerships and platforms put in place in the past few years that are now used for emergency communications such as strong partnerships with the government and phone services provider, an extensive U-Report community, dynamic digital media and an engaged community of young people ready to take action for positive change in their community. For every child, health. 

By Chantal Wagner

Tough time for the charitable sector amid global pandemic

Mar 27, 2020 | 6:22 PM

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, charitable organizations are one of the many groups having a difficult time.

President and CEO of UNICEF Canada David Morley says they are the largest agency for children, working in more than 200 countries around the world including Canada.

And he says charitable organizations are suffering.

Both at the local and national level.

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Morley says special events and fundraisers are being cancelled, whether that’s marathons or galas.

UNICEF has even had to cancel its second-biggest gala of the year in Halifax April. The largest is in Calgary in the fall.

It’s a tough time for volunteers as well due to physical distancing precautions.

And for people who want to make donations because finances are also tight.

He says this is a time where we’re seeing increased demand due to needs in all sectors.

“All of the unemployment that’s going up means that food banks, services for kids and families that are going up so it’s a higher demand. But at the same time, we’re seeing that fundraising for so many organizations is stopping because the same thing that’s causing a problem for the work that people do also means that the regular source of donations just isn’t there. It’s a really tough time for the charitable sector.”

Morley says he’s seeing organizations come up with innovative fundraising ideas.

Some charities are looking at virtual fundraisers that can be done right at home.

“I think we’re going to start coming up with more creative ways to be able to help in that way and get sponsors. Kind of like the ice bucket challenge a few years ago. Maybe that’s going to be the new thing, we’ll find what’s the next ice bucket challenge that people will want to do online.”

Meantime, Morley says UNICEF is trying to maintain its current supports while keeping up on limiting the spread of COVID-19 in many countries.

“How can we go about handwashing when it’s hard enough to find clean water?”

UNICEF sent out supplies for COVID-19 in January ahead of time to different countries so they were ready for the first wave.

Morley says they are also thinking about their regular work like measles vaccination campaigns in Africa.

“And providing food to malnourished kids, how do we keep that going when we have to be doing social distancing? It’s a real challenge for us not only to work on the hygiene that you need for COVID but keeping other programs going as well.”

Here in Canada during this time, Morley says UNICEF is working with federal and provincial governments to be sure money is set aside for mental health programs like Kids Help Phone for the most vulnerable.