Statement about COVID-19

Since March 2020 the Costa Foundation has been keeping in close contact with all of our partners on the ground so that we can fully understand the impact of this dreadful virus on them and their families, supporting these communities wherever possible

We have funded learning materials to promote hand washing and hygiene practises in Central and South America and have provided direct financial support to enable teachers to continue to be paid while the schools are closed and while carrying out distance learning programmes in Uganda and Zambia with our partner PEAS.

For school construction projects currently underway, the safety of our delivery partners is paramount. Therefore, construction has only continued where safe and with strict adherence to government advice; other projects have been put on hold where it is unsafe to continue. In Vietnam and Ethiopia, where the governments are actively encouraging construction work with a clear focus on safety in each location, work continues almost as normal.

The funding required for all new projects approved prior to the onset of the pandemic were already secured. This means that no projects have had to be postponed for financial reasons.

Whilst we are sad that many of our school projects have inevitably been delayed due to the pandemic, we are confident that construction will commence as soon feasible and that we will continue to “change a child’s life story” one school at a time as soon as it’s safe to do so.