Solidarity of Refugee Women for the Social Welfare
(SOFERES)
“Dzaleka Refugee Camp is under threat of coronavirus due to congestion. The restriction is disproportionately affecting women, girls, and communities we work with in Dzaleka as it has raised panic and great threats. ”
In early May, COVID-19 had only just begun to creep its way through Malawi. The accompanying panic, however, had already spread far and wide. Without any reliable information available, false narratives and dangerous speculations started to take hold of the community at Dzaleka Refugee Camp. The SOFERES team, who have been living and working in the settlement for years, knew that their community was not prepared for a crisis of this scale and it would only get worse once they started running out of essential resources. The pandemic will worsen ongoing issues like hunger, extreme poverty, overcrowding, and Gender Based Violence. It would be devastating for the refugees who lived there, and the women and girls will end up bearing the brunt of it.
With assistance from Women First, SOFERES implemented an expansive crisis response. They ensured that all women and girls in their community received essential supplies and food aid for themselves and their families. By protecting women and girls, who are often the primary caregivers and the ones most prone to infectious diseases, they were able to make the community more resilient against the pandemic. Next, they undertook the immense challenge of dispelling all the misinformation and educating the community on the actual risks and remedies for COVID-19. It was a massive effort, but with Women First’s support, SOFERES was able to develop an effective strategy to reach thousands of refugees with information that was reliable, and often lifesaving.
“Being at the frontlines of the fight against disease also means women and girls need to be leaders in defending against it. We have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to give the women, girls and communities we serve the information and tools they need to stay safe.”
About the Organization:
Solidarity of Refugee Women for the Social Welfare (SOFERES) is a Community-Based Organization (CBO) and a current Women First grantee partner formed by a diverse group of refugee women and allies living in Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi. Dzaleka is the biggest refugee settlement in Malawi, established by UNHCR in 1994. Originally built for 10,000 residents, its is now ‘home’ to over 49,000 refugees from Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, and the DRC.
In Malawi, refugees may not live or work outside the camp, so Dzaleka residents have to find creative ways to earn money within the camp’s borders. With Women First funds, SOFERES supports the most at-risk refugee women, especially single mothers. They equip women with skills in tailoring and other vocations, financial management, and soft skills that can help them to be successful at making an income. Most of these women are heads of households, or young women who have arrived in the country by themselves, so the income they generate impacts not only their lives, but the lives of their children, too. SOFERES shares this belief with Women First: that when women can make money, and save, they improve the community around them.
