Rozaria Memorial Trust (RMT), a Zimbabwean non-governmental organisation, has taken the fight against Covid-19 to rural communities amidst concerns that information on the deadly virus has not penetrated the countryside well enough. The RMT initiative was based on the observation that people in rural communities have little or no access to social media, which has been the most effective tool for disseminating information.

The Chief Executive of RMT, Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, said, ‘As an organisation, we are deeply involved in the prevention of the spread of Covid-19. We have embarked on a strong [campaign] in collaboration with the district coordination mechanism and the Ministry of Health and Childcare, at the district level, working closely with the village heads and village health workers at the local clinics in our areas, to essentially make information available in local languages. For us that is very important because there is misinformation, under information, there is conflicting information and there are so many myths about [Covid-19] in our community. For us to prevent [Covid-19], we need correct information’.

‘We are emphasising [hygiene, and] we have produced over 300 litres of hand sanitisers, which we are working together with the Ministry of Health to distribute to the clinics, to make available to the village health [workers]’, she added.

Source: 263Chat

Photo source: US Army Africa