One Pencil Project COVID-19 Update - July 2020

The COVID-19 Pandemic has truly been a global crisis, with its impact being felt even within the distant indigenous communities of Bolivia, Namibia and Angola that are supported by One Pencil. As of the writing of this blog post, COVID cases are steadily increasing in the three countries where One Pencil focuses its efforts.

Clearly, the magnitude of the health crisis in Bolivia (and South America, more generally) has thus far been worse than what is being seen in Southern Africa. But cases are accelerating in Africa now, and COVID exposure is starting to extend to more remote destinations of all three nations, where there are less resources available to fight the disease.

Indigenous populations have unique susceptibility to COVID-19 for several reasons. Most basic of all, these populations often lack the most fundamental resources necessary to fight disease, such as clean water, soap, and public sanitation. Local norms often place these communities further at risk. Households often consist of large families with multiple generations living under one roof. They also tend to have less access to healthcare resources and it can take hours or even days to access regional medical facilities. In addition, as the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID testing supplies surges across the globe, the poorest populations will be among the last to receive these critical resources.

Because of our deep ties within the communities we support, One Pencil is well positioned to assist these communities by providing resources, raising awareness, and educating these populations about the risks of COVID and the best recommended guidelines to stop the spread and we will provide periodic updates of our efforts.

For more detailed information on the risks posed to indigenous groups by COVID and the efforts being made to support them, we recommend this Lancet article by the Tsimane Health and Life History Project.