Prayasam, an organisation that works with underserved communities living on the fringes of the Salt Lake City in Kolkata, has embarked on a campaign to educate people in hamlets on checking the spread of COVID-19.
The campaign, called Combat COVID-19, is aimed at teaching the dos and don’ts to the poorer sections of society through wall graffiti and hamlets workshops. It is being conducted by health minders — youth aged between 15 and 25 — who are drawn from the communities.
“The youth first did an extensive study on the virus to understand its symptoms and precautionary measures and how it’s affecting the world at large. They conducted sessions with homemakers sharing the information,” Mili Roy, director (communications) of Prayasam, told The Hindu.
Breaking myths
“Now they are painting graffiti at strategic walls of their own communities with messages related to precautionary measures, the dos and don’ts and breaking myths and misinformation,” she said.
“Simultaneously, they are conducting hamlet workshops in each and every lane of their community on the seven steps of hand-washing and why they are necessary. Even the municipal corporation has entrusted these youth with reaching its campaign material to the hamlets to spread greater awareness,” she said.
The health minders are also persuading homemakers to make handkerchiefs from old clothes so that they can be distributed among the community, to be used when one is sneezing or coughing.
Besides, the digital media team of Prayasam — which is a partner of UNICEF — is developing visuals on health measures which will be disseminated through Facebook and WhatsApp so that they reach as many households as possible.
