Friends and colleagues,

COVID-19 represents an unprecedented challenge for all of us, including those of us working in developing markets to build a sustainable future for the poor.  Africa has so far escaped the worst of the pandemic but as countries across the continent impose measures to contain the spread of the virus, FSD Africa is also adjusting to the new realities.

With the health and safety of our staff and partners at the forefront of our minds, travel has been curtailed.  We are not planning to organise or attend workshops or conferences anywhere for the foreseeable future. Our people are working from home and our offices in Nairobi are closed to visitors although they will stay partially open to give staff members a quiet and place to work from, in case working from home is difficult.

However, we are determined to push forward with our plans, providing the best possible assistance to our partners across Africa.  Much of the technical support we provide can be done virtually and we will ensure that our partners continue to benefit from the global expertise that we can access through our networks.

We will also be giving careful thought to how our strategy can be modified to address the profound challenges that this pandemic has revealed.  The financial system can be part of a solution, both now and in preventing future disasters.  We welcome any ideas you may have on this.

If you are a grantee or if you are working for us under a contract, please stay close to your main counterparty at FSD Africa so that we can keep assessing how the pandemic is going to affect service delivery.

Useful links are as follows.  Advice from Kenya’s Ministry of Health can be accessed here – our offices are in Nairobi.  Information on the Government of Kenya’s stringent travel restrictions on inbound travellers into Kenya can be accessed here.  Finally, Public Health England’s website, which offers guidance on hygiene and social distancing, can be accessed here.

FSD Africa is open for business and we look forward to working with you, in solidarity, in the coming months.

Mark Napier
CEO, FSD Africa

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Published on 18 March 2020