Sierra Leone’s MamaYe Campaign Featured in RMNCH Workshop

Guest post by Sallieu Sesay, Communications Officer at MamaYe Sierra Leone

During one of the discussion sessions at the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) workshop on Creative Campaign Design on Reproductive, Neonatal, Maternal and Child Health (RMNCH), the MamaYe campaign was mentioned as one of the maternal health and child health campaigns in Sierra Leone. Other participants gave examples of other campaigns which include: ‘Mami en Piki wel bodi wek’ mother and child health week, Measles campaign, the Free Health Care and the Kick Polio Campaign. The four day workshop at the Leone Lodge Hotel in Freetown and will end on Thursday 17^th March, 2016.

The purpose of the workshop was for CSOs to contribute in the development of a national multimedia campaign that would contribute to the MoHS’ goal to use social behavioral change communication to increase demand and uptake for reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health services in Sierra Leone.

Participants were drawn from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation through the Health Education Division, FOCUS 1000, Goal Sierra Leone; Search for Common Ground ‘Talking Drums Studio’; Restless Development; District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) representatives from Bombali, Port Loko, Tonkolili and Western Area Rural and Urban; Marie Stopes etc.

In giving the welcome statement, the Country Director of HC3, Chime Mukwakwa, expressed delight for participants to have left their busy schedules to attend the workshop. Participants were expected to contribute to the development of behavioral change communication messages to improve peoples’ knowledge, attitudes and practices to demand for quality reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health services in Sierra Leone.

“Among the critical national level activities that we are going to implement in this project is the creative campaign. Why is it critical? As a project, our focus is reproductive maternal, neonatal and child health, and right now the President has declared that the high maternal mortality rate is a public health concern in the country. It should be treated with urgent and seriousness as we treated Ebola. It’s not business as usual.”- Chime Mukwakwa

She continued to express that HC3 would be implanting other activities in five focused districts i.e. Bombali, Port Loko, Tonkolili, Western Rural and Urban around social behavioral change communication. “This meeting outcome is  for participants to bring out something that will be well accepted and appreciated by the Government and other health implementing  partners at national and community level that would  benefit the over 6 million people in Sierra Leone” said Madam Mukwakwa. She implored on participants to do a quality job as something that will last for a long time that people can always make reference to.

HC3 has been working closely with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and other partners with funds from USAID.

The soft-spoken HC3 Country Director called on participants to give their best and come out with something that would realised the purpose of the work shop.

It could be recalled that the HC3 project has been in the country since July 2015. The government introduction of the Service Level Agreement took them long time to start their activities.

James King from the Health Education Division told participants that the workshop would be participatory as the Health Education Division would continue to provide HC3 all the technical support in making their campaign a success in Sierra Leone.

Participants during this workshop will be introduced to a wide range of topics from seasoned facilitators from KYNE and HC3 on learning about the background of HC3 RMNCH program and resources/themes from the radio design process; Enable them understand the priority audiences and character profiles, barriers and facilitators of the project, reflect on various campaigns in Sierra Leone and discussed on what worked and what didn’t.

The ultimate aim of this national multimedia campaign is to enable families, children, under five couples, community leaders, community action group to:

• Articulate key RMNCH practices for healthy behaviors
• Feel confident they can practice the key RMNCH behaviors
• Demonstrate trust and confidence in quality RMNCH services by using the services and encouraging others to do so
• Being involved in efforts to ensure the services are of high quality
• Advocate with others to practice key RMNCH behaviors