Community Development Centre
Location: Uganda (Rhino Camp Refugees settlement)
Since the outbreak of the COVID19, we have taken adaptive developments in our projects to respond to the pandemic and contribute in combating its spread within our communities. Given that there is limited access to information or general lack of access to reliable, accurate and timely information among refugees and host communities posing much community risk, seeing that misinformation and rumors regarding the COVID19 began to spread like wildfire as the talk about the pandemic dominates in the community, we responded by launching a text messaging campaign to send key and important messages about the pandemic and encouraging the community to stay calm and always pay attention to official guidelines. We started to work on countering rumours and misinformation regarding the COVID19 that we’re receiving by giving instant verification and also started to respond to questions with reliable information on what community members want to know about the pandemic through our Hagiga Wahid project. What is Hagiga Wahid? Hagiga Wahid is a simple Arabic phrase that translates ‘One Truth’ in English. It is a misinformation management project aimed at building peace both among South Sudanese refugees and between refugees and Ugandan host communities by countering the spread of harmful rumours which contribute to tensions and conflict.
Hagiga Wahid uses an innovative mobile-based technology to reach-out to local communities, works 24/7 providing fast, accurate and timely information. The project has hundreds of subscribers from different villages in Rhino Camp who have been engaging with the system before the outbreak of the COVID19; so, it is this subscriber base that we’re using to broadcast critical information or measures to mitigate COVID19 local transmission or spread in the community. Hagiga Wahid currently receives tons of such Rumour reports and misinformation about the COVID19 and the situation via SMS and Voice calls and we work to help to verify them, dispelling fear, panic and encouraging community members to only trust government information or official guidelines. Our approach helps reduced stress, and prevent stigmatization in the community, also establishing a connection and building trust which is an asset in this work (Misinformation Management/Conflict Mitigation).
We also employed the Soot Semee (Voice of Compassion in Juba Arabic). The Project aimed at supporting psychosocial healing, stimulating positive behavior change, and building peace and social cohesion among South Sudanese Refugees and the host communities. Community Development Centre (CDC) trained and equipped refugees and service providers to create audio content that promotes peace, health and development, distributed speaker-boxes and on weekly basis, provide audio content that addresses local issues in a way that promotes healing, health, peace, and well-being from the community perspective on SD Cards. Our content is locally contextualized and produced by the community. It takes forms of other awareness using local voices and local educational songs on COVID-19. More other good music is included in the podcast to lift up the people’s spirits. We are also working with mental health service provider or local experts to help community members deal with the additional uncertainty and emotional stress caused by the COVID19 measures. We started sharing-life saving health information, and prevention measures or advice based on WHO information. Here below is how the solution tackled the problem:
Health promotion: On week the COVID-19 was declared in Uganda our program was full of prevention advice based on WHO information.
Misinformation management: Soot Semee is closely connected with the Hagiga Wahid misinformation management project. After receiving the rumors and misinformation from the Hagiga Wahid texit system, we also relayed on Soot Semee podcasts.
Physical Distancing: Listener group leaders are asked to ensure no more than 10 people are gathering to listen (only household members). In groups, people are keeping a distance from each other. Speaker-box has a very loud speaker so others can listen without being huddled around it. They had a large PA music box in the community which become very helpful at this time, People will not need congregate closely to hear it. The content is also shared with other villages close to Omugo 4 that have PA systems and CSAs with other partners.
Community voices: People can send voice messages to contribute content but this might exclude people without smartphones. Community members are invited for interviews to places on the edges of the communities, where a microphone is set up with space around it. A hand washing facility is also there.
Social Connecting: Podcasts also contain good music to lift people’s spirits. Some of the traditional songs have new words to promote hygiene. Church pastors to give short messages to lift people's hopes as churches are not meeting either. Purpose is to give people hope. Soot Semee team are working with a mental health service provider to help community members deal with the additional uncertainty and emotional stress caused by the COVID19 measures.
Support Services: Partners and other services providers use the soot semee media project to inform refugees and beneficiaries about the support services they offer and how they can report issues.
Support
Our first initiative the “Hagiga Wahid” required an annual budget of 27,600 and the amount missing now is 16,200. We tried to submit applications online but not sure if we can be selected for the funding but incase it fails; we will keep trying and trying. And our second project “Soot Semee” is expiring by this December 2020 with no prospect of extension and we will try to fundraise through submitting applications.
Other needs: Access to information
See more: https://www.facebook.com/gocdc
For more information contact covid19@unmgcy.org