Covid-19: African Migrant returnees lead awareness campaign

In response to the growing Covid-19 pandemic, migrant returnees from African countries have volunteered to embark on awareness campaign launched by the International Organization for Migration.

According to IOM, the awareness initiative is aimed at preventing the spread of the pandemic.

Not less than 248 migrant returnees from seven West African countries have been trained in peer-to-peer communication to provide a critical link when disseminating information on Covid-19 to remote areas.

Using local languages or dialects, they have collectively produced over 70 Covid-19 awareness raising products on multimedia that are specific to individual cultural contexts.

Ebrima Sambo, one of the returning migrants volunteering in Gambia said, “As a returnee, this is a very important undertaking for me. It is my belief that the COVID–19 outbreak affects migrants disproportionately,”

He added that “I am really honored that, despite the challenges right now, I am playing my part to fight COVID–19 in my country.”

In Côte d’Ivoire, the Migrants as Messengers volunteers produced and disseminated 32 videos to raise awareness about Covid-19. They distributed prevention kits: handwashing stations, soap and hydro-alcoholic solutions to communities.

In The Gambia, they have produced social media campaign photos and videos, encouraging regular handwashing, cough etiquette, and social distancing.

Nigeria’s volonteers produced two awareness raising videos on hygiene prevention measures and support the #Stayhome challenge, where volunteers explain the initiatives, they are doing at home to motivate peers to promote physical distancing.

IOM’s Viviane Nzeusseu, Regional Migration and Health Thematic Specialist for West and Central Africa esplained that, “A key lesson IOM and other organizations learned from the Ebola crisis hitting the region in 2014 is the importance of community involvement.”

“It is crucial to include communities in communications and ensure that tailored messaging is conveyed through effective communication channels. Acceptance at local level is critical in mitigating risks of contamination,” she said.

Migrants as Messengers is a Government of the Netherlands-funded peer-to-peer awareness-raising campaign that empowers young people in West Africa to make informed decisions about migration.