The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the globe in ways we all continue to recover from and the network was not exempt from the setbacks the pandemic came with. Many activators lost their jobs and dealt with sickness and death and some saw a decline in their business profits. Above this, the mental and emotional support of the network was at an all-time low due as result of unforeseen effects of the pandemic.

Responding to this, we initiated the A! COVID Relief Fund with the intention of providing temporary relief, support and aid to Activators who have been hard hit by the pandemic. This initiative was very crucial as Activators were not excluded from the negative impact caused by the economic frustrations that most youths in the country have faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic above existing structural challenges faced by youth.

Funding assistance was broken down into the following categories:

• Personal Support – aimed at providing immediate relief for personal needs such as electricity, grocery and data vouchers.
• Collaborative and Initiative Support – aimed at providing support for Activators who work in groups and for programmatic support for Activators with existing initiatives.
• Youth Hub Support – aimed at providing support to Activators who are implementing activities through their community-based youth hubs and not yet previously supported.