Mobilizing

I have always loved the idea of community. All of us live in one whether we acknowledge it or not. This week I have had the opportunity to try and mobilize our community for the Vitamin A and Measles campaign taking place next week (11/16-11/22) here in Botswana. It is a campaign to have all children aged 9 months to 5 years receive a measles vaccination: while those aged 6 months to 5 years an oral dose of Vitamin A countrywide.

The importance of this campaign should not be overlooked. There are some cases of measles in the country and as most of you know, it can spread quite rapidly. Vitamin A is often overlooked in developed countries, because we get enough in our diet; whereas in Botswana, many children have Vitamin A deficiency and need the dose to assist in sight and bone development.

Many public health issues often get overlooked due to the impact of HIV/AIDS. While we are here to work on HIV/AIDS, it has been nice to try and mobilize my community and bring awareness to this particular campaign. The Ministry of Health, after changing the date two times, finally decided to roll it out and gave the districts basically a week to prepare. In knowing this, I decided to start spreading the word.

First, I went to the kgotla to meet the chief, a standard and necessary procedure in Botswana. My intent was to try and get the kgosi to contact the councilman/women (I have never met this person) to drive around with the loud speaker to promote the campaign. Much like they had been doing prior to elections here last month. He was open to the idea and said he would contact the right person. We could reach a large number of people very quickly. I have yet to hear back.

The Ministry finally delivered the posters, brochures, and information for the community. I grabbed as much as I could and set foot. First I went back to the kgotla and hung posters and gave them brochures to pass around. Then I went to the clinic (actually a health post) and plastered posters and flyers there with the head nurse. If you pass the clinic there is no way you wouldn’t know about the campaign. I will be working here during the campaign a few days doing whatever is needed.
Now, I am going door to door talking to people about the campaign, giving them information and explaining the importance when I can. A lot of people only speak Setswana so I do my level best. The reaction is generally really good. Most everyone is very thankful and say they will go, whether they know the importance or not. It has helped that Radio Botswana is promoting it now, hopefully the television news will as well. The radio and/or news is a great means of communication.

It has been good. I hope in the long run I have been able to mobilize the community a little. I will probably never really know if it was effective. I could go back and look at the last Vitamin A campaign and see how many showed comparatively, but it isn’t so much how I did, but how long the lines are at the clinic. All I did was meet more of my community and you should do the same………………..