The happiest and most celebrated time of the year is here again!!! Season’s greetings to everyone who is lucky to be alive at this time of the year despite the menace done by corona virus. It has been a long scary year and as cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to increase across many parts of the world,  the safest way to celebrate the holidays is to remain at home with immediate family and friends. As much as we would love to go out, travel and reconnect with family and friends, it would be very risky to gather in larger groups because we may be exposed to the COVID-19 virus. In order words, gatherings with family and friends who do not live with us increases chances of contacting or spreading COVID-19.

This pandemic has been both stressful  and isolating for many people; the Yuletide season would’ve been a great time and opportunity to socialize with loved ones and make up all the time lost. Unfortunately, this is not the case… on the contrary, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages us to modify the holiday plans to reduce the spread of COVID-19 so as to keep our friends, families, and communities healthy and safe. On that note, US CDC recommends virtual celebrations to help  reduce and delay the spread of COVID-19.

Celebrating virtually or only  with members of  the household who have not been exposed to COVID-19 poses the least possible risk for spreading the virus. Members of a household include anyone who currently lives and shares common spaces in the same housing unit. This may include family, friends and roommates. In this context therefore, everyone who is returning and doesn’t currently share the housing unit, is considered part of different households, even if they are family.  Physical gatherings that bring people from different households together can pose significant risks. Organizers and attendees of larger events are urged to consider the risk of virus spread based on size of the event which can be determined by the number of attendees. Adequate steps should then be taken mitigate and reduce these risks of infection. The risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 in any gathering depends on certain factors which include:

Community Incidence:  High cases of COVID-19 in the community increases the probability of infected people being in the gathering  which then increases the risk of infection and spread among attendees. It is important to consider the number of COVID-19 cases in the community when deciding whether to host or attend a gathering. The information on the number of cases  can be found on local health  websites or CDC’s COVID Data Tracker. 

Rate of Exposure: Places with high traffic such as airports, schools, churches, bus stations, train stations, public transport, gas stations, and rest stops are all places travelers can be exposed to the virus in the air and on surfaces. Proper precautions and  safety protocols must be taken in these places.

Location and Duration: Indoor gatherings, especially those with poor ventilation and smaller enclosed spaces, pose more risk than outdoor gatherings which allow room for social distancing and aeration. Additionally, the longer the gathering, the longer the exposure (if any) and the higher the chances of contacting COVID-19.

Setting: The setting of a gathering involves the  number and proximity of people at gatherings . Events with more people pose more risk compared to those with fewer people. CDC does not have a limit or recommended number of attendees for gatherings; however, the size of a gathering should be determined based on the ability of attendees from different households to stay six feet apart, wear masks, wash hands and comply with health and safety rules and regulations.

Behaviours of attendees: The attitude and behaviours of attendees before and during the gathering influences the risk of infection. Individuals who do not consistently adhere to social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing and other prevention behaviours pose more risk than those who consistently practice these safety measures. More so, gatherings with more of these safety measures in place pose less risk than gatherings where fewer or no preventive measures are being implemented.

It is important to note that People infected with or exposed to COVID-19 and People at increased risk for severe illness should not attend in-person holiday gatherings so as not to put loved ones at risk.

BlessWorld Foundation International remains committed to helping communities during the holidays… Stay Safe and Happy Holidays!

Marked by rising number of cases, the COVID-19 pandemic has entered a second wave and is far from over. This heart wrenching news can instantly dim any flickering light of hope remaining in the world. With several unfulfilled months and dreams behind, plus the holidays closing in, it is easy to become frustrated or slip into depression.

The aim of this article however, is to resurrect- as difficult as it may seem, any possible glimpse of hope… because once there is life, there is hope!

The English dictionary defines hope as a feeling of expectation and desire for  something to happen or become real. Like faith, it is a strong yearning for a thing which hasn’t happened or doesn’t exist to happen or become existent. It is common knowledge that how we feel is a result of what our senses absorb… particularly things we see and hear. Consequently, we must guard these inlet senses in order to control our feelings which then influence our state of mind. When we focus on the disappointments caused by the pandemic, the feelings of disappointment cloud our minds and hopelessness becomes inevitable. Contrarily, when we remain grateful for the things  we still have such as life, despite the unfortunate deaths of over a million people, then, we usher in feelings of contentment and hopefulness. At this point, you may be thinking “Easier said than done”…  after all, how do we switch our thoughts on and off like a light bulb? 

Certainly, it’s not that easy… cultivating positive thoughts and changing one’s thought patterns and processes is  no child’s play and doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s not impossible.

There  must be a conscious consistent commitment towards changing our thought habits. First and foremost, resisting the urge watch and listen to anything that triggers sadness such as COVID-19 updates and news would go a long way. This does not translate to avoiding reality, instead, it is understanding and  accepting that our feelings cannot change reality. Watching comedy movies, reading uplifting books,  and learning a new hobby like cooking are some simple ways to replace news time and keep the mind busy.

A second and equally important way to remain hopeful is to practice meditation. Again, some people may argue that meditation is a means to evade reality or turn-off one’s feelings and thoughts but this is false. Meditation is a healthy way to decongest the mind, it has nothing to do with deceiving oneself or becoming a different person. It helps us channel our energy towards training in awareness and having a healthy sense of perspective. This healthy perspective  helps us observe and control our thoughts and feelings without judgement thereby promoting mental health, inspiring hope and  wholesome understanding of oneself.

Energy is transferable; consequently, it is important to surround oneself with positive energy both environmentally and socially. By doing so, the human  spirit and hope can be lifted and built respectively. Although social distancing has limited the feasibility of being around people, one can recreate a positive energetic environment at home by engaging in fun skill development and hobbies as well as spending quality time with immediate family. Additionally, hope can be ignited through spiritual activities and relationship with one’s faith.The pandemic has changed our world significantly in these past months and it is our common responsibility to overcome this challenging circumstance by doing the right things- Wearing a mask, keeping social distance, washing our hands properly and frequently. The advent of the COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer is a ground breaking progress which undoubtedly increases our hope that sooner than later, COVID-19  will be history. As always, charity organizations such as BlessWorld Foundation are well positioned to continue supporting communities through aids in these difficult times. We will come out stronger and better, together… let us keep our hope alive

Digital revolution has tremendously affected many aspects of our lives especially health and medical care, in general. Medicine has long been influenced and complimented by technologies like X-rays, CT scans, MRI and other diagnostics to help in better care.  However, digital revolution is something more significant; It includes electronic health records, m-health, tele health, amongst others. It is the integration of technology into every bit of healthcare forming it’s very foundation. Digitisation has produced impressive results in other industries like automobile, aviation and as such have been advocated by health organisations and professionals as the future and hope of healthcare. This change in the course of healthcare which brings  it closer to patients and healthcare consumers is in fact the boldest move to patient centred care.

Since the early 2000’s, there has been a global trend in view of the prospects of digitisation, that is, making healthcare completely digital. Most significant would be the gradual digitisation of health records. The result is a new health record system known as the electronic health records (EHR). EHR is simply the digital form of paper records but collected and available in real time through multiple media outlets. The immediate advantage of the EHR centres around ease of accessibility and portability with increased transparency. All these allow for a more integrated, coordinated and personalised care. At the very least, it eliminates most of the errors of the traditional paper-based record system like medication errors due to poor legibility and suboptimal emergency care due to limited access to data.

Despite these  advantages, the reality of the current EHR has left both health professionals and patients frustrated,  negatively impacting care. This issue of usability  has been pointed out by healthcare workers as a major problem- It is only in healthcare that systems are designed without inputs from the very users (healthcare workers). In  aviation for example, airplanes are test run by pilots and their suggestions are used to improve the design. This lack of user-based design has led to increased time with computer mostly to repeat the same inputs. This results in fatigue, as well as poor interface and inflexibility. Many health workers have tried several solutions with little success like using a voice recognition program to prevent them fixating on their screens, using scribes  or  paper records and then entering them in the EHR later. Additionally,  there is high cost of installing EHR as well as non-transferability of records from one hospital to another.

 Technological advancement has also brought gradual modifications to the doctor-patient relationship; Gone are the days when the doctor’s note belonged to the doctor alone. Patients can now see their health records and the doctor’s note that was once private, due to changes in social structure and the presence of third parties such as :lawyers, insurance companies  and employers. There is consequently, and quite understandably, the concern over privacy due to digitisation which has been an issue of increasing concern with the growing rate of cyber crimes.This is why government agencies in charge of privacy like must set strict privacy protocols for EHR vendors to follow and ensure that health records are kept secure and private.Irrespective of these lapses, EHR can still be looked upon as the hope and future of healthcare because many professionals still consider it an inevitable step in the right direction. In line with digital revolution, BlessWorld Foundation is in her final stages of unveiling the World Hospital Initiative Project (WHIP)- a digital platform that represents a one-stop-shop for all health care goods and services across  the globe

Broadly speaking, Social change is defined as any change in social relations and interactions that transforms societal structures and institutions. Social change is constantly occurring in the society because change itself is constant and inevitable. It is important to note that no society ever remains the same. As times change, societies undergo either enforced, or gradual but significant alterations and transformations in social order and mechanisms. These transformations usually have profound long-term consequences for individuals and the society at large. As a social determinant of health, social change affects health, and consequently, the quality of life; hence, positive changes improve health while negative changes depreciate health.

Social change mostly results in increased awareness and understanding  because it allows for the circulation of  information, which enables people and communities to make informed decisions. It also results in improved civic participation  which can be attributed to behaviour change and motivation to challenge instances of injustice.

Some changes in the society are neither gradual nor natural, but are fought for and enforced to transform the community. Revolutionary social change almost  always begins  with individuals- it starts with personal changes which then develop into passionate commitment  needed to undertake group and community change in general. Individual interactions and relationships facilitate social change- understanding and respecting the differences in opinions and life experiences as well as accepting that there are limitless perspectives and points of view in the world.

 An important aspect of social change is the direction of the change. Creating the changes we want require conscious commitment to shaping the direction of social change. Popular examples of social change include social movements in civil rights, women’s rights, and LBGTQ rights. These changes resulted in relationship, institutional, cultural, transformative and organizational changes.

Agents and drivers of social change include various pivotal factors and situations that arise or need to be fulfilled to produce the required change. These types of change involve addressing urgent sustainability issues and challenges such as loss of biodiversity  and climate changes. These changes are guided and facilitated by the application of practical knowledge, education, scientific and social research,  and experience. For change to be successful, the community must be fully involved both in the development and implementation processes of social change policies. Engaging grassroots inspires participation and cooperation, especially when the change requires behaviour modification and compliance. 

Major agents and sources of social change  include;

• Diffusion and Population change
• Technological  Advancement
• Industrialization and Revolution
• Change in Ideology and Culture
• Economic fluctuations and Political movements
• Environmental impact and Evolution
• Social conflict and Competition
• Modernization and Urbanization
• Bureaucratization and Acculturation
• Mass dissatisfaction
• Disease outbreak, as in the case of COVID-19

COVID-19 represents an example of urgent, grassroots and  transformative source of social change, resulting in a complete change social behaviour- social distancing, wearing of masks, frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizers. The pandemic enforced change in social and health behaviours across the world in order to prevent and control its spread. Organizations such as BlessWorld Foundation continues to support this social change by providing palliatives in form of cash prizes to youths in different communities.

It is a daunting task to remain calm, positive and hopeful in the middle of a pandemic. The pandemic period is a time of uncertainty, anxiety and fear given how fluid the situation is. With Covid-19 whose mode of spread is airborne, the situation becomes even more delicate as it is very easy to get infected. Despite the current pandemic, it is essential to look on the bright side  and turn off the news every once in a while. This is important because it is a hard time for everyone and it’s easy to become frustrated, depressed or stressed out. Emotions run all over the place ranging from feeling very okay to feeling very scared, so patience with oneself is paramount. Indulging distractions such as watching movies and going out with friends can be really helpful ways remain sane. Other ways to reduce anxiety and calm one’s nerves  include:

• Allowing oneself to feel
• Taking deep breaths 
• Staying connected with family and friends online
• Being physically active at home
• Daily Meditations

Besides the preceding physical ways to stay positive and keep hope alive, some people who are more religious and spiritual may chose to look inward to find hope. With religious homes closedown due to the pandemic, personal spirituality must be practiced to connect with one’s own creator in order to successfully use religion as a coping mechanism. 

Covid-19 has thrown more light on the harsh realities of the many inequities and inequalities that burden our world. Already existing wealth disparities between, and within countries now risk being exacerbated even further by this pandemic. The United Nations, World Health Organisation and other international leaders need to recommit to their  vision and values as well as  use other multi-lateral bodies—including the G-20, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank—to proactively support the world’s most vulnerable.

Covid-19 poses a brand new challenge for world leaders as there hasn’t been any pandemic in recent decades that brought the world to a complete halt like this. The disease prospects is on track to potentially cause a significant  economic downturn  and a high number of deaths with impacts  felt around the globe. To acutely prevent this historic threat, national and international leaders must immediately put aside narrow nationalism and temporary, selfish considerations to work together in the common interest of all humanity. The  past and present Secretary-Generals of the United Nations called for an additional $2 billion in humanitarian aid to control this pandemic. This aid is expected to contribute to key efforts to reduce spread of the virus such as developing and distributing tests, treatments and vaccines. In addition, global leaders need to set preventive measures in place by developing a global governance system that can cope more effectively with future pandemics. 

To keep hope alive, everyone must remember that nobody is above this suffering, and anyone can be infected. Therefore, it’s important to extend our hands to others who lack homes, resources or families to protect them. We have a unique opportunity to come together and bridge our differences as one humanity. Whether it’s by donating blood, giving to local food banks, checking in on neighbours or just staying home- these small gestures in a time of crisis make the big  difference. This crisis shows us that we are just one global family—even though we live apart. Consequently, we have a responsibility to exercise compassion and help. In this time, let us also make it a duty to go out of our way to support health care heroes who answered the call of a world in need. Take a moment to send a thank you note to a local hospital and express gratitude to neighbours who works in health care, because every sign of support goes a long way. It is this spirit of support and  global togetherness that keeps us positive and hopeful. In this time of crisis, we are all neighbours, and success will only be achieved when all people, in all places, are safe..

As with the principle of impermanence; eventually, this pandemic will pass, as have wars and other terrible threats that humanity faced, lived beyond and overcame. I genuinely hope that we stay positive and hopeful despite the uncertainties that surround us because we will successfully rebuild our global community when this is over. We are conquerors.

Everyone has probably heard the popular saying, “health is wealth”. Indeed, this is true because health is considered an invaluable possession without which life becomes miserable and burdensome. To better understand this saying, it is important to consider the  meaning and significance of the two major  words that make it up. According to the World Health Organization, Health does not only mean the absence of disease but a complete physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. It also includes having a healthy and enabling environment which makes it easier to make healthier choices and lead healthier lives. On the other hand, Wealth is defined as large amounts of money, valuable possessions, properties or other forms of riches. Wealth, like health, is an essential need and it’s possession almost always  guarantees a life of satisfaction, happiness, success , contentment and freedom from lack.

Many people share in the belief that “health is wealth” because no matter how much wealth one acquires, it is impossible to enjoy it without good health. Therefore, the happiness and satisfaction that comes with wealth is unattainable without health.Equating health to wealth implies that good health is all one needs to be happy and live a fulfilling life that would otherwise be attributed to wealth. This was further proved to be true in the the light of the recent Covid-19 pandemic as no amount of wealth could buy or guarantee freedom from coronavirus infection. The pandemic showed that health was invaluable because it couldn’t be bought with any amount of wealth and wealthy people died helplessly. It is important to note that many people prioritize wealth over health and are in  constant struggle and stress to acquire  wealth. Such people often compromise or lose their health entirely- they clearly take health for granted and do not share in the ideology that “ health is wealth”, hence, the need to chase wealth at the expense of  health. They believe that without wealth, health is meaningless as there may be hardships and unhappiness due to lack of resources. Consequently, “Health is Wealth” can be viewed  as a mindset and may represent an unrealistic worldview and approach to life in general.

Although simple and seemingly straightforward, “Health is Wealth”  is an ancient adage  that is filled  with deep wisdom and immense meaning.  As a worldview, people hold varying opinions of the phrase; Some believe that wealth is everything and can buy anything including intangibles like health, love and happiness. However, this is false; health has been seen to be more valuable than wealth in all societies around the world. Diseases and of course, Covid-19 exist as a constant reminder that no amount of money, influence or resources can save anyone from death. Health is wealth because without it, no one can enjoy anything in life. Health is wealth because without it no one would be able to work productively and therefore, there would be little chances and opportunities of acquiring wealth . To generate income, one has to work and that cannot be done without good health. Therefore, health is also very necessary for generating wealth which is thus dependent on it.

For the majority of us,  ‘Wealth’ means having lots of money and properties such as lands, houses, luxury cars, farms, precious stones or things that have monetary value.. But this limits the scope and vision of the term ‘Wealth’. To broaden the meaning, we recall that the ‘knowledge’ and ‘experience’ are termed  ‘Wealth’. which although their value can bring money , does not directly translate to money. 

The  following reiterate that truly, “Health is Wealth”

• Health is the Foundation for Wealth: Health promotes wealth because a healthy person is more active, intelligent and efficient, and this directly affects income and wealth creation
• Health is an Investment with Good Returns: Healthy people are more likely to live longer than unhealthy people , and the longer one lives the more they enjoy their wealth.
• Health is a means to Better Living: Good health naturally empowers the body to maximize its potential physically, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually and financially
• Healthy Mind Stays in a Healthy Body: Intelligence, creativity, humour, humility, self-esteem, communication, conscience and other aspects of the mind are dependent on a healthy lifestyle
• Money Saved is Money Earned: Good health saves the money which could be used to treat illnesses, people have gone bankrupt from treatment costs

In conclusion, having the mindset that “Health is Wealth” and prioritizing health issues are ways to uphold the adage while laziness, poor time management and carefreeness are ways to derail ones health.By stressing the dynamic relationship between health and wealth, we illustrate how BlessWorld Foundation, works to improve health systems through the World Health Initiative project and many other programs. Our organization maintains that the health sector should not be viewed as a mere drain on resources but rather  a precursor of economic gains and wealth.

A balanced food supply which provides adequate nutrition is essential to health, particularly in response to Covid-19. The  World Health Organization (WHO) advocates optimum nutrition, in addition to social distancing, use of face masks and proper hand washing, as way to delay or prevent Covid-19 infection.  WHO has also released food safety guidance for governments, food businesses, health workers and the general public in order to maintain good health and prevent malnutrition and immunodeficiency. To effectively combat any infection, it is important to attain and maintain good nutritional status. Therefore, one of the aims of a proper diet is to  ensure that the body is in perfect condition to fight infections. Nutritional status of individuals contribute to their overall immune resilience even though it may be affected by  age, sex, health status, life style and medications.

The words of Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” shows that for over 2500 years, food and nutrition have been recognized as important denominators of health and wellness. Good nutrition and dietary nutrient intake impact the immune system through gene expression, cell activation, and signaling molecules modification. More so, various dietary nutrients are determinants of gut microbial composition which shape immune responses. Adequate intake of essential minerals and vitamins remain essential for the maintenance of immune function. 

 Self-isolation, lockdown, and social distancing remain effective measures to flatten the curve of Covid-19 infection; however, they lead to remarkable challenges in eating patterns, sleeping habits, and physical activity. As a consequence, sedentary behaviors that affect mental and physical health,  increase  and may result in a heightened risk of obesity. Fear and anxiety may also cause changes in dietary habits resulting in unhealthy dietary patterns and less desire to eat nutritious foods. Although there is currently no evidence that any nutrient can treat or completely prevent any viral infection, a balanced diet will guarantee a strong immune system that can help withstand infection. The following are some professional dietary recommendations :

• Daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables 
• Whole grains and nuts intake
• Animal and plant proteins consumption 
• Avoid irregular snacking.
• Do not overcook vegetables as it leads to the loss of important nutrients
• Prepare and serve food at acceptable temperatures (≥72°C for 2 mins).
• Limit the salt intake to 5g daily
• Consume unsaturated fats  rather than saturated fats
• Drink about 10 glasses of water  daily
• Avoid, carbonated, concentrated juices, and all drinks which contain sugar.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle of exercise, meditation, and regular sleep
• Eat at home to avoid contact with other people

It is important to note that Covid-19 does not see or treat everyone the same way. Malnourished people who have weaker immunity may be at higher risk of severe illness from the virus. Concurrently, poor metabolic health and chronic diseases including obesity and diabetes, have been associated with worse Covid-19 outcomes, including risk of hospitalization and death. Good nutrition and nutritional resilience are key elements of the body’s defense and society’s readiness to combat this global challenge. Focusing on nutritional well-being increases opportunities for creating synergies between public health and health determinants, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Optimal nutrition and dietary nutrient consumption impacts the immune system significantly;  consequently, strengthening the immune system provides a feasible and sustainable way to survive Covid-19 since it has no specific treatment. 

As always, BlessWorld foundation- like many non-profit organizations, continues to support her community in order to manage the virus and flatten the pandemic curve. Most recently is the 2020  Cradle2fame talent show aimed to empower the youth through healthy competitions to win prizes. These monetary prices can help these youths afford healthy nutritious food and  overcome the challenge of dood insecurity due to increased cost.

It is no news that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world significantly, and in ways that have not been witnessed in decades. The global shutdown, aimed to curtail the spread of the deadly corona virus, resulted in a negative influence on international relations and political systems. This has been evident in several countries across the globe including the United States, Canada and Nigeria. The  consequences of the political instability resulting from COVID-19 include deferments of legislative activities, isolation or deaths of various politicians and postponement of elections due to fears of spreading the virus. Due to social distancing, political events and activities which are largely social affairs have been modified by removing public campaigns, introducing virtual fundraising and encouraging voters to vote by mail in countries like the United States. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) also postponed the hearing of Guyana and Venezuela border dispute over Guayana Esequiba which was earlier scheduled for March 2020. Unfortunately, some countries have taken advantage of this pandemic to build political bridges thereby putting politics before health. More so, international organizations such as World Health Organization, through its leader Tedros Adhanom, claimed to have received severe discrimination, racist insults and death threats from some countries, especially Taiwan. 

Although the pandemic may have worsened conflict dynamics, it also led to a global demand for ceasefire as United Nations called for greater international cooperation to address the pandemic. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, issued an appeal for a global ceasefire as part of the United Nations’ response to the COVID-19  pandemic on March 23, 2020. This was supported by 172 UN Member States and Observers who signed a non-binding statement. Further, the UN Security Council supported the Secretary General by passing a resolution demanding an immediate termination of all conflicts and engagement in a “humanitarian pause” of at least 90 uninterrupted days. 

Several countries, particularly the US has faced many controversies and accusations at different times during this pandemic. Of major importance were allegations of unethical political actions such as hijacking shipments of crucial supplies meant for other countries, disrupting face mask deliveries to France and Germany, diverting medical supplies originally intended for Canada, threatening to cut funding and withdraw from World Health Organization and halting the exportation of masks to Latin America.

In Canada, Parliament voted to suspend activities in both the House of Commons and Senate. To continue maintaining social distancing, the House of Commons’ Health and Finance committees were given the flexibility to hold virtual meetings during this pandemic. In the same vein, the leadership elections of various parties including the Conservative Party of Canada, Green Party of British Columbia, Quebec Liberal Party and Parti Québécois were all postponed.

At the early stages of the pandemic, Nigeria received millions of dollars in funding from international organizations and independent donors to combat COVID- 19 but unfortunately, corruption has limited the efficient use of these funds. Although the government made claims of how the monies were spent via palliatives, testing and treatment;, citizens deny receiving any palliatives or aids form the Nigerian government. In addition, many citizens accuse the government of lack of transparency regarding COVID-19 and consequently doubt the credibility of any claims. Most recently this September , Edo State gubernatorial election was conducted and the incumbent Governor, Godwin  Obaseki,, won.

Being the origin, it is impossible to discuss COVID-19 without mentioning China. The Chinese government dismissed several provincial-level administrators of the Communist Party of China (CPC) over the poor handling of quarantine efforts in the country. Some political experts claim this was likely in a cover-up to protect the general secretary of the CPC, Xi Jinping from people’s anger over the issues surrounding the spread of COVID-19..

According to Angel Gurría, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Secretary-General, COVID-19 which has a strong regional and global impact is the greatest economic, financial and social shock of the 21st century and requires a modern, global effort that would entail differentiated governance and policy responses from local and international levels. The coordinated and unified response from all levels of government remains a major means to optimize crisis-management. In addition, charity organizations such as BlessWorld Foundation continue to ease the consequences of the pandemic by:

• Health Education and promotion
• Staff retention and employment provision
• Palliative distribution and poverty alleviation
• Capacity building
• Community development

Despite being a fatal pandemic and a source of sorrow to many people across the globe, Covid-19 availed, and still avails many organizations the opportunity to demonstrate and fulfill their aims, objectives and goals. One of such organizations is BlessWorld Foundation, whose vision and mission statement is ‘Affecting the world through Health”. Like many non-profit organization, BlessWorld Foundation proactively seeks for funds, manpower and ways to serve the community in different capacities.The overall goal is to promote health by inspiring positive behavior change and empowering people. Therefore, it is safe to say that the pandemic presents a pedestal to express our core values which includes service, compassion, commitment, respect, innovation and ethics. This further buttresses the point that the need for charity is borne out of, problems, diseases and the shortcomings of an imperfectly uncertain world.

Non-profit organizations rely essentially on volunteers and donations to fund their cause- therefore, it remains a constant challenge to prompt and inspire people to support and come through either in cash or kind. Many companies suffered some form of setback due to COVID 19 and this led to laying-off staff, closing a few offices or outlets and even shutting down completely for some. However, non-profit organizations could not afford to lay-off staff or shut down as the purpose of their existence lies completely in periods when service is needed and help is lacking. At such, BlessWorld foundation continues to meet with her mandate in the following ways:

Employment provision

The increase in need of service has created a surge in the need of workers. As a consequence, existing workers and new workers are constantly needed to meet the growing needs of the community and for services to be provided accordingly. BlessWorld foundation meets this demand by recruiting new staff and training existing ones whenever necessary.

Poverty alleviation

Programs such as Cradle2Fame remain a major form of poverty alleviation and community development. Here, youths are given the opportunity to showcase their talents for a price- this healthy competition inspires purpose and makes dreams come true. Awards such as millions of cash prices and other gifts are up for grabs- more so; participants experience a journey of self-discovery and positive mental attitude. In addition, raffle draw tickets which provides an opportunity for any random person to luckily and instantly double their cash is a great source of help to many.

Capacity building

Capacity building is a by-product of employment provision and poverty alleviation. It includes the ways that we as an organization collect, use, improve and retain information, tools and skills required for competent service provision. By hiring highly qualified staff and updating their skills through training, BlessWorld foundation equips herself for competence and excellence in service provision.  Furthermore, our innovative Cradle2fame program remains an excellent form of empowerment and capacity building to the youth and community respectively. This is especially necessary in these difficult times of COVID 19 pandemic.

COVID 19 is a disease caused by the Novel Coronavirus- SARS-CoV-2. The disease which caused a pandemic began late 2019 in Wuhan China and was named by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Many sectors of the economy have been ravaged by the COVID 19 pandemic including education, transportation and in fact, all social activities. Categorically, the ban placed on movement and consequently, on every sector, has stifled so many businesses. 

The pandemic has also spurred mass layoffs across countries and many industries have taken a significant hit. A lot of companies announced the downsizing of their work force. For example, Qantas airways, a major airline in Australia laid off two-third of its workers. The CEO of Qantas airways, Alan Joyce, defended this layoff saying that the Coronavirus is the worst crisis to ever hit the aviation industry. On April 28, online travel company, TripAdvisor announced it would lay off more than 900 of its employees amounting to a quarter of its workforce. On March 19, Air Canada announced its readiness to layoff 50% of its flight crew.The list is endless. 

On the flip side, healthcare and technology witnessed a significant boost in service provision. In fact, hospitals were saturated and people were willing to pay anything to get help. Also, technology and social networks, which replaced physical contact, became the go-to as people found ways to adapt to the new reality. Tele-health, Zoom app, Tik Tok, and Social media challenges became most popular during this pandemic.

Given the ease of spread as with similar flu viruses, COVID 19 affected over 180 countries with the United States reaching 5 million cases this August, and replacing China as the country with the highest number of cases. Other countries hardly hit and badly affected by the virus include Brazil (3.5 million cases), India (3 million cases), Russia (957,000 cases), Spain (368,000), United Kingdom (386,000 cases) and Italy (238,000 cases). On the other hand, some countries such as New Zealand (1,674 cases), Slovenia (2,651 cases), Finland (7,920 cases), Norway (10,318 cases), Denmark (16,000) and South Korea (17,000 cases) showed excellent emergency preparedness by quickly keeping the deadly virus under control. These countries successfully suppressed the transmission of the virus by implementing policies that limited public movement and social contact as well as promoting behaviors that hindered the viral spread.

 The prospects of recovery from the impacts of COVID 19 may not be apparent or readily observable in these gloomy times but with the right plans in place, recovery is inevitable. It is quite evident that the COVID 19 pandemic has done a pretty good job at exposing the weaknesses and shortcomings of the various sectors mostly health and transportation sectors. It has revealed the lack of emergency preparedness and poor crisis management. Nonetheless, this unprecedented break, if well managed could provide the needed time for restructuring. In the time being, the use of cues to remind people about social distancing, the availability of public hand sanitizers and compulsory face mask laws have all proved and remained effective in promoting positive attitude, inspiring healthy behaviours, curbing the spread of the virus and consequently, flattening the curve.