Working with PNG communities to be COVID-19 safe
The health risks presented by the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to strengthen safe hygiene and response practises in Papua New Guinean communities. The Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) COVID-19 response in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has delivered risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) and/or water, sanitation and hygiene activities across 17 provinces.
AHP partner, Save the Children, focused on East Sepik Province and, with the help of provincial radio station Laif FM, reached an estimated 20,000 people with COVID-19 awareness and prevention messages in 2020. Messages were also delivered in 14 schools, 15 communities including health clinics and six markets in Wewak Urban and Ambunti-Dreikikier districts.
Above: Steven Airamne is keen for communities to be COVID-19 safe to limit the impact on businesses and household incomes. Image: Save the Children.
Steven Airamne is a police reservist, signwriter and father of three and he attended an awareness session at the Wewak Market. With the COVID-19 lockdowns impacting his business, he was keen for everyone to start practicing the ‘new normal’ in terms of safe hygiene practices.
“These preventive measures are important and I will share them with my family so that they practise this,” said Steven.
With the help of volunteers, the Save the Children team constructed tippy taps in schools and demonstrated to students how to wash their hands, maintain social distancing recommendations and practise safe hygiene. They also distributed information materials and hygiene prevention kits containing basic water and sanitation items such as soap, water containers and buckets to the Inclusive Education Resource Centre in Wewak and its sub-centre in Maprik.
Save the Children’s Area Manager in East Sepik, Donny Kupamu, emphasised the importance of the Save the Children team being trained in the COVID-19 prevention and response methods before they went out to schools and communities.
“All staff and volunteers underwent training because it is important that we all understand the COVID-19 information we were providing in the schools and communities,’’ explained Donny.
In addition to RCCE and WASH activities, the AHP COVID-19 response in PNG is focused on protection, food security and livelihoods activities. The AHP COVID-19 Response in PNG forms part of the AHP COVID-19 Pacific and Timor-Leste Response. For more AHP COVID-19 response information, please visit the AHP COVID-19 Resource Centre.