Work done by SMART during COVID-19

There was an urgent intervention required in Mewat (now Nuh), the most backward district of India. SMART has been working in Nuh for over 20 years. Mewat (now Nuh) in Haryana, is the most backward district in the country. Until March 31, 2020, this district did not report a single case of COVID-19. However, the next two weeks saw an explosion of cases. Within a month, 68 cases were reported. The non-existent medical infrastructure of Nuh, coupled with a practice of low sanitation and hygiene as well as a complete lack of awareness regarding the pandemic made the situation critical and the district was declared a COVID hotspot in April. This created panic and fear within the community. Cases of stigma and discrimination against COVID patients and their family members also surfaced. 

Mewat is also the birthplace of Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic fundamentalist organisation that was widely blamed for the spread of COVID-19 during March. As members of the organisation started returning to Mewat after the event that was held in New Delhi, there was an urgent need to ensure there is no environment of hostility for those coming back, as well as to equip the people with the necessary safety precautions to be followed in order to not get infected.

Mewat has one of the lowest media penetration in the country, with barely 10% homes owning television sets. However, it has a high mobile phone penetration, which also doubles up as a radio listening tool. Radio Mewat, a community radio station operating in the district for almost a decade, disseminates content with a local perspective in the local dialect. It is run by members of the community and has for long been serving as a bridge between the administration and the community, thereby earning the latter’s trust. This made Radio Mewat the ideal medium to create awareness regarding COVID-19.

Radio Mewat has been running a focused awareness, outreach and behavioral change campaign called ‘Corona se jung, Radio Mewat ke sung’ since April. Broadcast in Mewati (the local dialect) and Hindi, the campaign has incorporated the following:

•       Symptoms and prevention
•       De-escalation measures
•       Daily updates
•       Social cohesion and solidarity
•       Busting myths and addressing misinformation
•       Messages by district authorities

During its 12-hour daily broadcast time, Radio Mewat has also included content to target specific segments of its audience (women, children, farmers, migrant workers, vulnerable groups and so on). The content also moved beyond just the health aspect and has also encompassed other impacts of the pandemic, for example, the economic impact on various sectors, its effect on people’s mental health and a spike in domestic violence cases against women.

We have also captured the voice of the frontline health workers (ASHA and ANM workers), including their experiences and struggles during this period and their appeals to the people of the district which can ensure a safe environment in the district.

As a result of the lockdown imposed by the government in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19, many in Mewat were rendered jobless and confined to their homes. The condition of women especially became a matter of concern as violence against women is extremely common in the region. With reports of increased domestic violence coming in from many parts of the country, we felt the need to remain engaged with our women listener groups during this time. SMART, through its community radio station Radio Mewat, decided to engage its women groups spread across 30 panchayats for mask-making.

The cloth and stitching material were sourced and acquired by the team of Radio Mewat during the lockdown by taking permission from the district authorities to get the go-downs opened. Our team member Sunita went to different villages and trained the women who assembled in small groups on how to stitch the masks. During these interactions, she also spoke to them about domestic violence and encouraged the women to come forward and share their stories or incidents, especially if they are facing violence during the lockdown. Each woman was promised Rs 6 per mask as compensation. The women were initially asked to make 2-3 samples which would be examined by Sunita. The women made the masks according to the feedback they received.

The exercise was started in mid-April with support from Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives (APPI) as well as some voluntary contributions through friends of SMART. So far, 284 women across 28 villages of Nuh have made around 52,000 masks. Of these, around 50,000 have been distributed free-of-cost to the people of Mewat through the respective Sarpanches. The free distribution of masks has been carried out in order to inculcate a habit of mask-wearing within the community and protect themselves.

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