In Africa, at least 84,586 cases had been reported as of May 18, 2020 with 2,764 deaths and 32, 477 recoveries. Measures by governments to contain the spread and transmission of the virus, including restriction of movement and the WHO Standards on sanitation protocols, compromised on people’s livelihoods. Those who lived on daily wages, particularly in urban areas, were the most affected. World Food Program (WFP) estimated that a total of 34-43 million people in East Africa alone would be food insecure due to COVID-19 by July 2020. According to a World Bank Report, Agriculture production shrunk by 2.6 – 7%. 

Restrictions of imports of food, causing a decline of 25%, disrupted the supply chain contributing further to food shortages. Due to COVID-19, many households’ vulnerabilities increased. According to the Ghana Statistical Service (September 2020), 77.4% of households —approximately 22 million people—in Ghana experienced declines in income due to the COVID-19 restrictions. There was the need for balanced diets to strengthen immunity, particularly for those at risk of food insecurity and those with pre-existing health conditions. 

Therefore, ADRA Africa, in partnership with the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church, rolled out the “Africa Region COVID-19 Food Security Recovery Project” to train Adventist Women in Climate Smart Vegetable Production (CSWP), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Nutrition and COVID-19 Prevention Protocols.