COMMUNITIES
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE TO COVID-19
SCRC was an 18-month long CivActs project that aimed to address the immediate threat and long-term implications of the Covid-19 pandemic for the most vulnerable populations of Pakistan. We did this through greater awareness of health risks and preventive measures. Broadly, the campaign aims to improve access to support services, reduce communal tensions and stigma, and encourage greater responsiveness of public authorities to the voices and interests of the poor, women and girls, minority groups, and other marginalized populations. The project covers Sindh (Sukkur, Khairpur Mirs, Larkana, Shikarpur & Jacobabad) and KP (Peshawar,Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi & Haripur).
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
In collaboration with the Department of Health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, we reached several milestones to improve mass vaccination for vulnerable groups.
Small grants on Covid-19 social actions were awarded to partner universities in Karachi, Multan and Swabi to engage young people, especially female students, in pandemic response efforts to build community resilience.
Research pieces were developed, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on various aspects of life, including women’s health and the major gaps in outreach regarding government services for vulnerable populations.
A dedicated WhatsApp number was established for citizens to report misinformation, false news, myths, conspiracies, questions and concerns related to Covid-19.
IMPACT TO DATE
We trained 339 community volunteers, 30 in each of the project districts, on rumour tracking, identifying fake news, and countering misinformation.
We provided 1500 pamphlets, 600 brochures and posters, as well as ten standees designed and distributed by the thousands within the targeted communities.
We invited ten content creators to participate in the Virtual Media Caravan activity, where they shared inspirational stories of unsung champions of COVID-19 (in the form of blogs, columns and video) of marginalized communities. These stories have been shared on more than 35 local websites, newspapers, Facebook pages and YouTube channels.
56 Coronavirus CivActs Campaign (CCC) weekly bulletins were developed and published in four languages including, English, Urdu, Sindhi and Pashto, reaching 5.2 million people on social media in 15 months.
Radio spots were aired in various languages on regional and local radio channels focusing on Covid-19 SOPs, countering misinformation and vaccine promotion, with a total reach of 6.35 million. The project created 12 radio programs organized in Urdu, Pashto and Sindhi.
We produced 27 100 copies of IEC materials (brochures, pamphlets, posters and standees) which were disseminated in 10 project districts for offline advocacy.
33 videos from public health experts, government officials, DCs, DHO, political and religious figures as well as influencers were developed in collaboration with the Department of Health (DoH) – KP to increase the vaccination rate and focus on the strata of the population eligible for vaccination.