CCDRN Conducts Focus Group Discussion on COVID 19 Awareness Level in Bade Communities

In the Northeast of Nigeria, the threat of the novel COVID 19 continues to grow, particularly in vulnerable communities where the virus poses considerable danger to already at-risk populations living in areas with dire need of interventions and fragile healthcare system.

To deepen effort at ensuring that community members understand how to prevent themselves from the spread of the virus, CCDRN has intensified it awareness campaign process, conducting Focus Group Discussions to ascertain level of community awareness of the virus as well as pooling in key community stakeholders to join and support the fight against the virus in their various communities.

In the interim, CCDRN has prioritized targeted communities where it is implementing WFP livelihood intervention and food assistance, bringing on board community leaders, community focal persons and opinion leaders comprising of Bulamas, Chief Imam, Lawanis, Women leaders, security operatives, and Community Elders to participate in Focus Group Discussions in a bid to understand how to further help in reaching out to the communities with targeted messages about the virus

Preliminary outcome from the Focus Group Discussion, points to the fact that the stakeholders are aware of the Pandemic but knew little or nothing about it spread, and also how to prevent it, even as some of them maintained that they only had families and friend from other state calling to tell them about the disease.

Using Pictorial illustration to further enlighten the stakeholders about the Corona Virus, CCDRN team harped on early signs of the disease and also on how to prevent it, the benefit of social distancing, washing of hands frequently with soap and water, staying hydrated, how to disinfect oneself after returning from the farm and market, keeping their household/farmlands clean, good personal hygiene and avoiding hand shake was intensively discussed.

Expressing gratitude to CCDRN frontline team for their effort in reaching out to communities, Lawani Buba from Azbak community in Bade LGA says, “It is evidence that all the key stakeholders in my community will adhere to all we have being taught today, this is indeed a life strengthening issue, and we would not want to record loss of lives. I personally the Lawal of Azbak community will participate in further enlightening my community members from the knowledge I acquired today”..

Bade Local Government Area is hosting considerable number of internally Displaced Persons IDPs who fled the conflict occasioned by activities of Non-State Armed groups from neighboring Borno state and other areas affected by the conflict. CCDRN is intensifying sensitization and awareness on the virus due to the elevated risk the virus pose to IDPs and other vulnerable host community members.

CCDRN is working with support from WFP to reach out to families impacted by the Boko Haram conflict through food assistance and livelihood activities to ensure that their food and livelihood needs are met amidst the dangers posed by the virus.