Sierra Leone: Increasing Community Engagement for Ebola On-Air

Zainab Akiwumi in the radio studio of Radio Maria talking about the need to suspend cultural and traditional practices in times of Ebola, Sierra Leone.  WHO/S. Saporito

WHO’s social mobilization team is using radio to reach communities with information about how to prevent the spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone.

who.int - February 2015

Reaching communities not just physically, but psychologically and emotionally as well

“My work as a social mobilizer is to pass on key messages to convince people to stop the cultural and traditional practices that are fuelling the spread of Ebola,” says Zainab Akiwumi, who leads the WHO social mobilization team in Sierra Leone.

One way to convey Ebola messages is using local radio stations to reach out to the community. “On radio I tell the listeners, you who are listening to me now, take this message and go outside to tell those who did not hear me what I said, as a way to spread it on,” she continues.

Zainab Akiwumi’s voice is being broadcast via local radio station Radio Maria into homes and workplaces all over Sierra Leone. The use of radio is one tool to convey the message, but not the only one as not everybody within the community has access to radio.

To reach the people in the communities, especially in rural areas, social mobilization teams have to engage with them and use existing community structures not just to reach them physically, but psychologically and emotionally as well. Existing structures include traditional leaders and other community members who are trusted, respected and who can influence and encourage behaviour change.

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