According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Indigenous people, particularly women and girls, are disproportionately affected by epidemics and other crises. With nearly a decade of experience working in remote regions of Colombia, Heartland Alliance International (HAI) knows first-hand that this is true. We work with Indigenous communities, like the Awá near the border of Ecuador and the Embera in Cordoba – both of whom have little to no access to basic health, medical, and other social services and supplies.
Alexander Botina, an Indigenous liaison with HAI in Nariño, explains that traditional forms of media meant to increase awareness about emergencies do not reach remote communities, like the ones HAI is engaged with. In fact, they are often left in the dark about life-saving measures and precautions, including information about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite and because of their remote location, Indigenous people often travel outside of their territories for economic and livelihood reasons. This constant travel increases their exposure to disease and likelihood of spreading the disease to other community members. Though the government recommends Indigenous people stay within their territories during the pandemic, this safety precaution has yet to reach them.
To bridge health and communication disparities, HAI launched an awareness campaign focused on radio segments with critical information about COVID-19. The segments were adapted to fit the unique language and cultural customs of Colombia’s Indigenous groups, and works to debunk false beliefs about the virus. In addition to information about COVID-19, the radio segments include mental health tips and tools to prevent family and gender-based violence.
Within the framework of HAI’s MAS – Resilience Project, financed by the State Department’s Office of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), we produced two radio pieces in the Embera Dobida language, three in Awapít, and two in Embera Katío. While these messages follow recommendations of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), they are culturally and linguistically adapted to Indigenous customs. All pieces are being broadcast by radio stations in Colombia, and might be the only source of COVID-19 information for many remote communities.
José Luis Dogirama, a community agent with HAI, emphasized the importance of our awareness campaign: “In Bojayá, we do not have health centers or knowledge about the coronavirus. We don’t know what symptoms to look out for or what to do if we feel sick. HAI’s radio spots fill these knowledge gaps and literally save lives.”
