Anike Foundation assisted its partner organization, Girls Empowerment Network for Development in Rural (GENDER) to obtain a $5,000 grant from Urgent Action Fund to help communicate important information about COVID-19 to rural women and girls with disabilities.

WHO IS GENDER?

GENDER is a non-governmental organization based in rural Tanzania. Since its establishment in 2018, GENDER has focused on empowering and enabling rural women and girls, as well as the entire community, to speak up for their rights. 

From December 2020 to February 2021, GENDER conducted a project based in Tanzania’s Kilombero District that focused on increasing awareness about COVID-19 precautions for women and girls with disabilities.

COVID-19 PROJECT

The successful COVID-19 project involved various activities to raise awareness, including:

• Social Media Campaign

• Community Radio Drama Campaign

• School Visit Campaign

• Provision of Comic Booklets and Braille Handouts

Social Media Campaign

The social media campaign was conducted through Twitter using the hashtag #TuwafikieTuwalinde, which means: Let’s reach them and protect them. The campaign tagged stakeholders, such as The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, to urge them to consider women and girls with disabilities in all plans related to COVID-19 communication. 

As a result, the Ministry of Health announced its plan to include language translators in all hospitals for people with disabilities and visual impairments. “People with hearing impairments need health services like other people. We must have a special policy which will guide us to provide health services in all health centres and hospitals without obstacles,” said Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Godwin Mollel.

Additionally, the government launched new guidelines for taking COVID-19 tests, insisted citizens wear masks, and improved COVID-19 rapid test services. Results are now available within 24 hours! For more information, click here.

Statistics show that the social media campaign reached 24,665,764 people.  

Community Radio Drama Campaign

Pambazuko FM aired two radio drama episodes that promoted GENDER’s message regarding increased awareness for women and girls with disabilities in rural areas to access information about COVID-19 precautions. 

The radio drama programs aired on weekends, when most people, including the beneficiaries, were at home. The programs reached large parts of the rural Kilombero district, which has a population of 800,000 people. 

School Visit Campaign

GENDER conducted school visit campaigns in more than five schools, including Kanolo Primary School, Kibereegge Primary School, Kisawasawa Secondary School, Mang’ula Secondary School, and Sanje Secondary School. 

The campaign enabled GENDER to reach more than 1,600 beneficiaries: 1,000 girls, 100 boys, and 300 women, including 200 women and girls with disabilities.

The school visit campaigns influenced the school administrations of the Kilombero District to improve water availability in over 15 schools. As a result, 3,500 students (including 2,000 girls) can now wash their hands with soap and use sanitizers to protect themselves from COVID-19. 

Additionally, through monitoring and evaluation, GENDER observed that parents in over 50 households insisted children wash their hands when they are in school and had conversations with their children about protecting themselves from COVID-19. Over 100 households have promised to implement these practices. 

Provision of Comic Booklets and Braile Handouts

GENDER produced 1,000 comic booklets and 400 copies of braille handouts with special, easy-to-understand messages regarding COVID-19 precautions for women and girls with disabilities. 

LESSON LEARNED 

There is a significant lack of information about COVID-19 in rural areas compared to urban areas, especially when it comes to people with disabilities. In many rural areas, there are no braille, large print banners or sign language available to target the people who need it. While the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders tries to reach rural areas, people with disabilities are often overlooked. 

SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROJECT 

Thanks to Anike Foundation, the generous support of Urgent Action Fund, and the hard work of GENDER, the #TuwafikieTuwalinde Twitter campaign continues to communicate to large communities, and the washing equipment in schools, increased awareness about the disease, and conversations with children at home continue to support students in protecting themselves from COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS

The $5,000 grant from Urgent Action Fund has helped GENDER to raise COVID-19 awareness to those with disabilities, including women and girls. The increased awareness has benefited the Kilombero  District, but would also benefit other rural districts like Ulanga, Mlimba, Mahenge, Mvomero, Morogoro, Kilosa, and Gairo. 

Consider supporting Anike Foundation and GENDER to educate more rural-based women and girls about COVID-19 precautions, in order to save lives. Click our “Donate” button below.