Spreading the word, not the virus
Amidst the rapid change and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, imagine not being able to jump online, pick up your phone or switch on the television to get the latest news to keep you and your family safe.
Roisy is a teacher at Kokoda Elementary School, living in the village at the start of the iconic Kokoda Track. When a State of Emergency was declared in response to the pandemic and Papua New Guinea went into lockdown closing borders and schools, like so many of us Roisy wasn’t sure what to do. Unsure how long the lockdown would last, she returned to her home village further along the Track. Before leaving Kokoda, Roisy heard initial awareness messaging from KTF team members so she had a basic understanding of the virus and prevention measures.
Arriving at home in the mountains, where reception is poor and communications limited, Roisy found uncertainly and fear among the community. At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, some were afraid to even leave their yard. During this time, Roisy was making regular trips to a nearby village with better mobile reception to receive text messages sent by the KTF team, containing regular updates on how to stop the virus spread.
As Roisy passed through the village, people would call to her asking for updates and she soon became a trusted source, sharing hygiene practices to keep the community safe. She was also able to correct inaccurate information circulating; how the virus was transmitted (not like HIV) and the best prevention: hand-washing, distancing and isolation if symptomatic.
Roisy’s village is not unique; this story echoed through our network of school teachers and health workers in the Kokoda catchment region and is why awareness messaging has been a key component to KTF’s COVID-19 response from day one. Spreading the word – facts about the virus, how it transmits and the key actions to stop the spread – has been critical to keep communities in rural and remote areas safe.
We’ve used every possible means to get the word out: email where there is internet access; phone calls, text messages to places with pockets of mobile coverage; old school radio, word-of-mouth and printed flyers, posters and booklets have made their way up mountains and across seas to communities with no communications coverage at all.
When the State of Emergency ended and life returned to ‘new normal’, Roisy and other teachers supported by KTF have become the trusted sources of information in their communities. Using the KTF COVID-19 Response Awareness Modules booklet and resources provided to their schools, they are reinforcing key messages with their students, parents and the broader community. Together, the extended KTF network of teachers, health workers, trainers and women’s groups have spread the word to stop the spread of the virus.
KTF’s COVID-19 response is supported by generous public donations and the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).