Funded by the Victorian Department of Health, the COVID-19 Campaigns for South Sudanese Young People were tailored initiatives designed to equip young individuals with vital knowledge about COVID-19 measures. These campaigns aimed to address the unique needs of the South Sudanese community, ensuring accessible, culturally sensitive, and youth-focused communication.
Key Objectives included:
- Raising Awareness: Educating young people about COVID-19 prevention measures, such as vaccination, mask-wearing, hand hygiene, and physical distancing.
- Combating Misinformation: Providing accurate information to counter myths and misconceptions surrounding COVID-19.
- Promoting Community Engagement: Encouraging young people to be ambassadors of health and safety within their families and broader community.
- Highlighting Access to Resources: Informing the community about available healthcare services, vaccination sites, mental health support, and COVID-19 recovery resources.
Culturally Appropriate Communication Strategies included:
- BBQs as Community Engagement Hubs: The BBQ events served as a central strategy for bringing young people together in a relaxed, informal setting. These gatherings created opportunities for open dialogue about COVID-19 measures while strengthening community bonds. Health professionals and community leaders provided accessible information and answered questions, fostering trust and awareness in a culturally familiar environment.
- Workshops and Forums: Facilitating safe spaces for discussions on health measures and addressing community concerns.
- Creative Media: Utilizing social media, videos, and infographics to engage youth in a relatable and interactive manner.
- Youth Leadership: Empowering young South Sudanese leaders to champion health campaigns and amplify their impact.
These efforts, with the BBQ events as a cornerstone strategy, not only increased awareness and compliance with public health measures but also fostered trust, unity, and resilience among South Sudanese young people during a challenging global pandemic. The campaign exemplified the value of culturally tailored approaches in promoting health and well-being within diverse communities.
