Together We Are Saving Lives
FilmAid has been hard at work converting our programs, projects and campaigns to aid in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In Kenya and Zimbabwe, it is your support that is making it possible for FilmAid to share life-saving information with refugees and other ultra-vulnerable communities facing the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.
How FilmAid is Taking Action
KENYA: Sharing Live-Saving Information on Every Platform
FilmAid is sharing life-saving information with the 400,000 refugees living in Dadaab and Kakuma Refugee Camps using loudspeaker trucks, radio, SMS, social media and messaging services like WhatsApp.
Ensuring everyone is informed about covid-19
Bulk SMS: Sending regular messages about COVID-19 and social distancing to 40,000 households.
Radio: Broadcasting Public Service Announcements about COVID-19 in 13 languages - Amharic, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, English, French, Lingala, Dinka, Nuer, Didinga, Anyuak, Swahili, Lotuka and Turkana.
Loudspeaker Trucks: Covering the camps block-by-block with announcements in 13 languages.
WhatsApp: 140 listenership groups formed in Kakuma and doubling to 240 soon. Groups receive audio messages on COVID-19 and information about changes in camp services.
Radio Call-in Shows for 200,000 people in Dadaab
Abdullahi Mire is a freelance journalist and former FilmAid student who recently packed his bags in Nairobi and transplanted himself to Dadaab Refugee Camp to inform the 200,000 people in Dadaab through a daily radio show about COVID-19. Click here to watch a short video from Mire.
Social distancing & Digital Distribution
FilmAid is using its Bulk SMS service with 40,000 subscribers, as well as WhatsApp, Facebook and other messaging platforms to reach the communities we serve with information about COVID-19 through podcasts, videos, and and info-graphics.
ZIMBABWE: Defending Fundamental Rights through Mobile Cinema and Your Mobile Phone
Mobile Cinema on your mobile phone
FilmAid is expanding our concept of Mobile Cinema to include both in-person film screenings, and virtual distribution networks. While the entire country of Zimbabwe is on lockdown, FilmAid is working in partnership with the fantastically talented Sunshine Cinema.
Together we are training ambitious young people like Bulisile Mgunie and Richard Shamba to create podcasts, smartphone videos, and to host online and offline discussions. Busilie and Richard's podcast series kicked off by exploring how COVID-19 exacerbates the many challenges facing communities in southern Zimbabwe.
Listen as Richard and Bulisile interview filmmakers, activists and journalists about protecting people's health while protecting their fundamental rights during the COVID-19 pandemic -
Breaking the Silence About Genocide: Bulisile Mgunie interviews journalist, filmmaker and activist Zenzele Ndebele about why he made a film about the Gukurahundi Massacres. Click here to listen.
Peace & Reconciliation on Lockdown: Richard Shumba interviews Takaedza Tafirei about how reconciliation must continue while the nation is under lockdown. Click here to listen.
Strong Partners
In Zimbabwe our partner, the Center for Innovation and Technology (CITE) is currently producing an average of 45 stories weekly about COVID-19. Additional stories, podcasts and public service announcements are also being shared and produced by Kubatana, ZAKRAS (radio) and Internews.
Future Updates
FilmAid is working hard to support ultra-vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to have some news from our work in Colombia with the Wayuu community on the border with Venezuela in our next newsletter.