illuminAid, alongside Catholic Relief Services (CRS) conducted a four day workshop in Adama, Ethiopia to ensure the execution of the Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP)’s efforts in supporting transitory, vulnerable and acute food insecure households across Ethiopia. Additional partners to ensure initiation of this project included CARE, Food for the Hungry Ethiopia (FHE), Hararghe Catholic Secretariat (HCS), Meki Catholic Secretariat (MCS), Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA), Relief Society of Tigray (REST), World Vision Ethiopia (WV). Recognizing the impact technical communications have in developing behavior change content, illuminAid provided the necessary tools, including camera, projectors, and solar kits to equip JEOP with the capacity to communicate directly between Addis-based staff and leaders in areas with no telecom or internet services.

Relying on trainer of trainer (ToT) approaches and print materials, in addition to being a costly practice, severely limits the project staff’s ability to communicate messages exactly as they are intended, with significant dilution occurring down the information dissemination pipeline.  Furthermore, without technological communication, communities limited in their English language and reading skills are prevented access. Through utilizing pre-recorded information in video, government and community leaders will be able to more effectively maintain the content and quality of information provided to the community.  The introduction of video supported risk education programs provides experts from the hierarchy of government the ability to transmit messages to the community in a single video shot and provides greater agency to local elders at community level.

illuminAid helped workshop participants understand how video can be an influential tool to circulate awareness and set in motion the knowledge necessary for a higher quality of life. Throughout the workshop, the illuminAid staff gained a greater appreciation for the unique geographical, infrastructural and economical challenges that CRS and their partners face in their goal to invoke permanent behavior change regarding food insecurity.  Through this initiative, illuminAid and CRS were able to ensure JEOP’s implementation of a community based early warning system (CBEWS) which provides community members with risk knowledge, risk monitoring, risk communication and increasing risk preparedness.

Videos made while at the CRS/illuminAid Workshop