Ethiopia Save the Children Organizes Market Day Campaign on Early Stimulation
On August 24, 2019, Save the Children’s Advocacy and Campaign Team in Ethiopia, in collaboration with the Sponsorship Program through the Project Office in Axum and local government actors, organized a successful market day public campaign in Edaga Arbi, the capital town of Werei Leke Woreda in Tigray National Regional State, reaching over 10,500 members of local community. The event was set right after theAdvocacy Capacity Building Trainingthat the Advocacy and Campaign Team provided to the project staff in Axum and local government actors between 20th and 22nd of August in order to help the trainees apply their knowledge and skills for their practical advocacy work with target community. The training also aimed to help Sponsorship program staff to be able to influence local decision makers and leverage more stakeholder support and political will to prioritize the lives of under five children. The market day campaign conveyed various messages calling for action to help children 0 to 3 years old with early stimulation activities for their optimal cognitive and psychomotor development. The event also created an opportunity to galvanize local administration and community support to strengthen maternity waiting room facilities in health centers so that mothers enjoy timely and safe delivery through skilled birth assistance.
In his key note address, Zeru Tewoldebrihan, Head of Werei Leke Woreda Administration, said Save the Children deserves his Administration’s utmost appreciation because “it has done our job” by organizing a campaign to help the local community raise awareness on the importance of early stimulation for children in their first three years of life. Further, Zeru pledged, “we will always provide support and ensure strong collaboration should Save the Children continue organizing such vital events.”
The market day public campaign was attended by a variety of audiences including rural and semi-urban men and women, youth, local government actors and so on. Messaging in the campaign was catered to the comprehension of local community with content delivered through entertaining and educational songs and poems by children, and leaflets with relevant messages in the local Tigrigna language were also disseminated.
Finally, the local administration awarded Save the Children Country Office and the Project Office in Axum with certificates of appreciation for conducting the market day public campaign on early stimulation actively attended by over 10,500 people.
