Easy and Possible Organization in partnership with UNICEF Rwanda is conducting community sensitization activities dubbed “Strengthening the COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement in Rwanda through Car Parks and Markets Radios, ISANO FM and Mobile Sound”.
The six-month campaign relies on raising awareness on Delta variant prevention, Omicron variant, enhance vaccine acceptance behaviors and also collect data and address rumors around the pandemic.
On 14th March 2020, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Rwanda (MINISANTE) declared that an outbreak of COVID-19 had occurred in Rwanda as a new strain identified in China.
Thus, Rwanda as a developing country also encountered significant risks of this pandemic.
Its entire population is at risk of COVID-19 and its variant like Delta (over 12 million women and men, including children (52 percent women, 48 percent men; 70 percent are young people under the age of 30) are still in need for continuous engagement on COVID-19 and variant (Delta) prevention.
There is a need to continue disseminating messages on COVID-19 and its variant, enhance vaccine acceptance behaviors as well as ensure the right behaviors regarding the COVID-19 and new variant prevention measures.
That is why in support to the Rwandan government effort for community sensitization as means of prevention, EASY AND POSSIBLE Organization and UNICEF joined hands to continue supporting the government (RBC/RHCC) in this regard.
The activities are being conducted in public places (Car Parks and markets), using bus parks and markets radios and in 11 selected districts using mobile van with strong sound system to prevent the spread of it, by teaching them how to properly wash their hands, avoid physical contact, what to do when sneezing or coughing, accept the COVID-19 vaccine and also update them on the topic on daily basis and collect and address rumors in those mentioned areas.
The mobilization is conducted through:
Use of Market, Car Park Radios and Isano Radio
To reach the goal of community mobilization on Covid-19 and variant prevention and vaccine acceptance Easy and Possible is using 30 cars parks and market radios across the country and Isano Radio (92 FM) to disseminate the massages.
The 30 radios play RBC jingle and EPO’s sketch every 30 minutes, they organize a biweekly radio program with local authorities and health experts and collect rumors and address them on the radios once every two weeks. Easy and Possible works closely with Red Cross volunteers in their location for the rumors tracking and address them.
Mobile Sound
About the use of mobile sound as one of means of mass mobilization, each district among 11 selected by RBC/RHCC upon district request is reached.
A mobile van equipped with a strong sound system covers each district targeted of busy places with MC teaching community members COVID-19 prevention measures and calls for vaccine acceptance at the same time sends out the correct message to address the rumors circulated in the community as briefed by the commend post COVID-19 expert. The van uses playing radio jingle as well as the sketch to attract people’s attention.
Expected benefits
It is an opportunity to disseminate messages on COVID-19 prevention to a large audience through community sensitization using car parks and market radios and mobile van to large audience of people visiting and using car parks and market across the country with a purpose of reaching at least 4,000,000 people countrywide.
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