“We thought every woman was aware about where and how to put on masks, we were wrong, she confidently put it on to cover her eyes”, tells our local social entrepreneurial partner from WAWA NGO in Kenya.

In the last days – due to the infection growth of COVID-19 – there is a high need for masks – everywhere in the country. Also in Western Kenya, in the Homabay area at lake Victoria where Cavin and his team from WA-WA NGO have started to produce masks and to distribute them to Selfhelp group women who in the last year have been involved into the fish growing projects. These are women living in extreme poverty, often with a lot of children, a low education level and HIV positive – because they have sold themselves for fish before joining WAWA projects.

Now, these women need urgently support to be able to defend themselves from the pandemic – and wearing masks is just one element of the whole training program Cavin and his team are doing …

What seems so normal and logical to us, does not to others

Everyone lives in his own reality, based on own experiences and life conditions. What we learn in our Making More Health activities again and again while acting on the ground together with our local partners and the people is: don’t take anything for granted. Make things as simple as possible. The mask alone means nothing. Soap that is not used makes no sense. Hand washing not well executed is meaningless. Devices, technology are only as good as the user’s understanding on what to do with it.

What is true and obvious “at the ground” is true also at a higher level – even in the rich world

We need entire ecosystems of change. And for achieving good results and developing answers to the most pressing challenges in the world we have to start to think and act differently m the one big solution does not exist. Behaviors, culture, income generation, climate issues, mental health, infrastructures – all is linked. For sustainable solutions we need to act abs think much more in networks and taking into account the whole life circumstances. We have to understand that we need to co-create and collaborate across sectors, organizations and industries if we really want to create impact and be sustainable.

As smart as possible, as simple as possible

While doing so we need to implement solutions in a way that people understand. Wherever they live and do, together with them, adapted to their life circumstances. With digital and nit digital solutions, trainings, flyers, games, music and whatever reaches people.

WAWA has started to use music when it comes to health education . Why not learning about hygiene and mask using through songs, too?

Related content

More about WAWA https://gokenyagofuture.com/2019/10/09/322/

More about Making More Health Initiative