Awareness campaign for stopping the spread of COVID-19

When COVID-19 reached Somalia, the districts least able to absorb it were those where health messaging arrives late, if at all, and where the nearest clinic may be hours away.

BADEF’s team worked through the elders of Merka District in Lower Shabelle, South West State, rather than around them. Awareness sessions were run jointly with the elders, and the team spoke with residents directly about how the virus spreads and which precautions reduce that risk.

Protective masks and gloves were distributed alongside the sessions, so that the advice arrived with the means to act on it.

Working through elders matters more than it may appear. Where trust in outside institutions is thin, a message carried by a recognised figure is the one that gets followed.