“We reached out to 100 people with hearing impairment and their families to inform them about the current situation”
As the world withdrew into their homes due to the deadly coronavirus, people with special needs were forgotten. When it came to community sensitization, for example, people with hearing impairment were barely considered for the messaging approach. There was a gap that urgently needed bridging, one that could have easily been ruinous. Sunday Olyel, the founder of Persons with Special Abilities - Africa (PESA - Africa), saw this gap in Gulu District and did something about it.
With support from The Pollination Project, Olyel and the team started the Corona Must Go Campaign which targeted 100 people with hearing impairment. “In a time of crisis, as it happened with the coronavirus pandemic, people with special needs are often left out. We had to do something,” he explained.
They produced 400 litres of liquid soap for free distribution and also heavily subsidized over 2000 litres for the general population. The 400 litres were specifically given to people with hearing impairment during the sensitization visits. “We reached out to 100 people with hearing impairment and their families to inform them about the current situation; we explained what precaution they needed to take and also provided each of them with 4 litres of liquid soap,” he said.
This campaign reached an estimated 500 people as each home had about five people on average. Today, he takes pride in knowing that the decision to take sign language sensitisation to the people with hearing impairment, helped spread awareness of COVID-19. “They now know how it spreads but most importantly, they understand how it can be avoided,” he observed.
After registering success among those with hearing impairment, Olyel partnered with HIVE Uganda (an organization that trains people with visual impairment in beekeeping), to make 920 liters of liquid soap which were distributed to 300 people with visual impairment.
By Civsource Africa Team
