Lessons from Africa Region 2020/2021
During the past two years, 2020 and 2021, the Africa Region has seen many “first evers” across our 37 Programs, and across the world.
In January 2020, the first ever Special Olympics Pan African Games were held successfully in Cairo, Egypt in collaboration with the Middle East North Africa (MENA) Region (see page 9). Our Africa Region leadership team was ready for an action-packed 2020, to be kicked off with a faceto-face Africa Leadership Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. As we departed from a successful Pan African Games, news was slowly trickling in announcing a new coronavirus, spreading rapidly in China. As the virus spread further, the world started shutting down and cancelling activities. The Africa Region cancelled all face-to-face events and halted travel.
https://media.specialolympics.org/soa/2020-2021-Africa-Region-Annual-Report-digital.pdf
It is at this point we got very concerned with our Special Olympics athletes around the Africa Region. The only relevant means of contact, digital means, would not reach the majority of athletes.
A quick survey taken suggested that 10% of athletes in the Africa Region had access to reliable digital communication.
With this in mind, we had to find an alternative to keep our Region’s athletes active. The innovative FIT 5 card was introduced and customized to meet this need. These cards were widely welcomed and supported by our partners such as UNICEF in Kenya, and many others in several African countries. They were produced in masses and distributed to athletes.
Two years later today, with restrictions in most countries eased, the FIT 5 cards continue to be used by our athletes to hold activities at their various locations. Thanks to all our partners and Program Leaders that worked around the clock to ensure athletes continue receiving physical activities while in isolation.
Despite the difficulties faced resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, the Africa Region Program leadership displayed outstanding commitment to Special Olympics athletes with creative and innovative approaches to promote activity continuation and also ensuring respective national and Special Olympics Health protocols are adhered to.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to this population, and our global Special Olympics team, in close collaboration with the Africa Region, has made significant modifications to programming, availing creative digital and other means of access to continued health and fitness activities of Special Olympics athletes, while exercising safety measures by following some carefully designed protocols.
Special Olympics programming continues to empower this population, to be resilient and bold. It is encouraging and exciting to witness the record number of very strong leaders that have emerged among the athletes, and they are giving direction in the organization.
This report provides a summary of activities held during the last two years under the coronavirus pandemic. We sincerely thank and encourage our partners, individuals and organizations, including governments, for their continued investment in this worthwhile Movement. Thank you for being a part of this success!
Charles Nyambe
President and Managing Director, Africa Region
