Youth volunteers in Rwanda are keeping their communities safe by reminding people to follow coronavirus safety guidelines. Volunteers enforce social distancing, masks, and hygiene, in addition to fighting misinformation about the virus.

Lack of access to menstrual products contributes to the high drop rates among girls between primary and secondary school. A collaboration between civil society and government organizations created the Menstrual Health Component for Primary Schools Project to educate both girls and boys, as well as providing girls with a menstrual health kit that includes reusable pads and a menstrual cup as well as a container to clean them. Over 500 students participated in the program in September 2021 with participants feeling empowered to be able to stay in school.

Boda Boda operators have been a key component curbing the spread of COVID-19 in Siaya county. Four months after being declared a hotspot, the positivity rate dropped from 28% to less than 3%. Boda Boda operators enforce the health ministry’s protocols for stopping the spread of the virus, like washing hands, using hand sanitizer, and wearing masks. Boda Boda operators have been on the frontline educating people on how to protect themselves and spreading accurate information.

Volunteers are cleaning up Abuja while advocating for the government to fulfill its sanitation responsibilities. A radio personality galvanized volunteers through a call to action that it became clear that trash is blocking drainage, contributing to flash floods and affecting the quality of life for residents of the city.

Open Defecation Free Nigeria works to stop people from disposing of human waste in public areas by building public toilets. The organization has built 66 so far and manages a group of volunteers who educate residents about the dangers of public defecation. Encouraging behavioral change is key to ending the practice of open defecation. Fundraising and the sale of private household toilets funds the public toilets, which are tailored to the needs of a community. Most contain a biodigester system that turns waste to liquid or compost manure, which can last for decades and is easy for communities to maintain.

Over 200 teenage girls in northwestern Nigeria have been trained to produce reusable sanitary napkins and tampons, which they can use for personal use and sell to make extra money. In fact, they have sold over 15,000 packs of reusable menstrual hygiene products worth 3.5 million naira, both improving the lives of users and becoming a viable livelihood for communities. The kits contain three cotton-based reusable products, each of which last three to six months. The project was supported as part of the United Nations’ COVID-19 response in Nigeria.

The Ruga Sauka community in Nigeria has access to clean water due to the help and collaboration of the aid organization, ChabadAid. An electric borehole was installed with the help of the residents who will also be responsible for maintenance of the equipment provided to them.

The Water the Needy Foundation uses donations and sponsors to provide rural, remote communities in Nigeria access to drinking water by building wells and boreholes.

Two rural communities in rural Nigeria now have access to a solar-powered borehole that provides clean drinking water. The initiative has led to cleaner water and a reduction of ailments associated with the consumption of dirty water.