COVID-19 prevention messaging through Mobile Units 

Over the last four months distinctive mobile units have been travelling through urban and rural communities in Zimbabwe delivering vital COVID-19 prevention messages to vulnerable people in Chipinge, Mutare and Chimanimani. Messages delivered included vital health and hygiene messages with attention to gender-based violence and information for mothers to screen their children for malnutrition. The campaign managed to reach 316,673 people directly. GOAL rolled out a food distribution programme in partnership with WFP where Promobile and Goal teams visited distribution stations adhering to social distancing and hand washing and using microphones to engage with people waiting at food collection points. The mobile unit awareness model is a good example of private sector and NGO collaboration and has potential to achieve positive change. Gabriella Prandini, the GOAL Zimbabwe Country Director, emphasized the impact the partnership had on vulnerable communities in Zimbabwe through the integration of gender- based violence and child protection messaging into the campaign, and to promote toll free helplines. “Normally the various trucks are on the road promoting popular consumer brands such as Coca Cola. But in what is a totally new direction Promobile, found itself working together with an international NGO in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 virus”. The Director of Childline, informed Gabriella: “For Manicaland I can tell you that for the first time in the 23 years’ history of Childline the first quarter of the 2020 saw more calls from Manicaland for the Helpline and a drop in centers largely thanks to the awareness campaign.”

Courtesy of UNICEF