The District Kudumbashree Mission has embarked on a mass awareness campaign, especially focussed around 24 local bodies, in the wake of the second wave of the pandemic.
The Health Department had handed over the Mission a list of 24 particularly vulnerable local bodies for special attention. Following this, the Community Development Societies (CDS) in these local bodies convened special meetings attended by 329 members for chalking out awareness campaigns.
This was followed by similar special meetings of Area Development Societies (ADS) in 189 wards and I448 Neighbourhood Groups (NHG).
“We are now focussing on massive awareness campaigns driving home the need to return to the basics of ‘Break the Chain’ campaign held at the start of the pandemic. A note was issued to all 26,500 NHGs across the district on the need for organising such campaigns,” said S. Renjini, district coordinator, Kudumbashree Mission, Ernakulam.
Since then groups made up of CDS members have been visiting public spaces prone to overcrowding like markets, shops, and bus stands and educating the public about the need to strictly comply with the COVID-19 protocol. Traders have been asked to keep sanitisers and ensure that customers wear masks properly and maintain physical distance.
They have also been dropping in at houses in their neighbourhoods where marriages are being held and trying to inculcate the need for complying with the protocol through friendly, casual chats.
“Our teams have also been visiting ATM kiosks for checking whether hand sanitisers are being kept for customers and have been alerting the bank managers concerned where they were missing,” said Ms. Renjini.
Bala Sabhas affiliated with the Kudumbashree Mission have also been roped in for awareness campaigns. Posters designed by them are being displayed at public places while small videos created by them are being propagated over social media.
“We have also kick-started a campaign ‘Onnayi Orumichu’ for mobilising people aged above 45 years for vaccination drives. CDSs with the help of ADS members at ward levels identify eligible persons and encourage them to get vaccinated. Up until last week alone, 1.60 lakh vaccinations were achieved in this manner,” said Ms. Renjini.
Kudumbashree members have also been facilitating the vaccination of Asraya families by helping them with the registration and even with their conveyance to vaccination centres. Till last week, 230 members of such destitute families have got vaccinated.
The Kudumbashree Mission, which is already organising plays and flash mobs as part of awareness campaigns, is now planning to chalk out a more innovative campaign module.
