Reaping the Fruits of Persistence: A Glimpse on COVID-19 Risk Communications in a corner of Medan
Farida Hanum, a 49-year-old woman who lives in Medan Marelan, North Sumatra, was sitting in her small grocery shop when Sri Rostiaty first visited about five months ago. Sri was there to provide COVID-19 risk information and prevention education. At that time, Farida had only received information about the new pandemic from television and text messages sent by the COVID-19 Task Force.
“I know that a dangerous virus causes COVID. To prevent its spread, we have to do the 3M (prevention protocol), ”said Farida when asked about her knowledge on COVID-19 before LeaN On’s caseworker visited. However, Farida admitted that she had never received detailed information before the visit.
“It was only from Ibu Sri that I learned that the way I used the mask had been wrong,” added Farida.
Prevention Education
Farida was grateful when Sri visited her to provide more detailed information about COVID-19. From the LeaN On caseworker, Farida learned how to wear masks and wash her hands properly. Sri also reminds Farida of the importance of wearing a mask consistently and maintaining a safe distance when interacting with the customers at her shop.
“From the caseworker’s visit, I learned that we have to keep the bottom part of the mask tight as well. And that we should not touch the (surface of the) mask. We also have to take a shower immediately after outdoor activities. I had only learned all that from Ibu Sri,” said Farida.
Before getting a thorough prevention education from Sri, Farida admitted that she rarely practiced the prevention protocols because she doubted the COVID-19’s level of risk. Thankfully, the in-person education conducted by LeaN On’s caseworker has helped her to form a more accurate risk perception.
“Now, I always make sure that my mask is tightly on… I also provide a simple handwashing facility in front of my shop… And when I come home from outdoor activities, I go straight to the bathroom,” explained Farida about the behavior changes that had occurred following the prevention education provided by Sri Rostiaty.
Social Protection Access
Farida is one of the many residents of Medan whose economy has suffered from the pandemic. Her family’s primary source of income — a students’ pick-up service run by her husband by using a pedicab — has now collapsed since schools are still closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Farida and her family currently depend on the unstable income generated from her small grocery shop and from Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH) — a social protection program by the government that provides three-monthly financial assistance for children. Meanwhile, the husband is striving to build a small business that focuses on producing simple wooden furniture.
“Alhamdulillah, we got one-two orders. But as you know, people’s purchasing power has declined. So we cannot say that the business is going well,” said Farida about the new small business run by her husband.
Soon after Sri Rostiaty’s first visit, Farida learned that she is on the recipient list of a staple food package donation, and the donor is Sri’s acquaintance. She was grateful that the LeaN On caseworker has helped her understand the COVID-19 risks and prevention protocol and connects her to additional social assistance.
“I didn’t register for another government assistance program. As advised by the local leaders, we need to ensure everyone else gets the assistance, too (she had received PKH assistance). Many others are also in need,” said Farida when asked about the obstacles she encountered in getting social assistance. Therefore, she appreciated the staple food package provided by non-governmental donors through Sri Rostiaty.
Today, Farida and her family have made masks-wearing and handwashing their habit. However, they still face difficulties in maintaining safe distance consistently. At first, the husband was reluctant to put on the mask because of the discomfort he initially experienced when breathing and is now getting used to it. Furthermore, Farida has also started to share the COVID-19 risk information she received from the LeaN On caseworker to her customers.
“I often remind my customers to wear a mask when they are shopping,” said Farida.
Persistent Risk Communicator
Sri Rostiaty is one of 42 LeaN On promoters assigned to carry out COVID-19 risk communication outreach in the city of Medan under the supervision of the Center for Child Studies and Protection (PKPA) and the Human Initiative.
In addition to successfully educating Farida and her family to practice COVID-19 prevention protocol, Sri has also succeeded in reaching more than 330 other program participants from the community of people with disabilities and other marginalized groups in Medan city. She did not even hesitate to visit the community members who reside in Belawan Fisherman Village, an area that is relatively difficult to reach.
“If we don’t meet and talk to them in person, we will never really know the problems they are facing on the ground,” said Sri when asked about her motivation in reaching out to the last miles of Medan.
For Sri, social work is a wholehearted affair. In addition to reporting through LeaN On information system, she also keeps her notes for each outreach she carried on. “We never know if there will be findings that need to be followed up later on. This way, I can quickly cross-check them on my notes. This is also proof that there is no fabricated data,” said Sri, who also mentored four other caseworkers.
In addition to her contribution in providing COVID-19 risk information and prevention education, Sri also sought social assistance from various sources to be distributed to the program participants in need.
Human Initiative and PKPA’s records showed that Sri has successfully obtained at least 120 packages of staple food from four different donors which she distributed to program participants from low-income and comorbid categories. Furthermore, she also secured two million rupiahs cash assistance for a child with disability, and books donation for other children participating in LeaN On.
At the age of 63, Sri is still actively involved in various social and health education programs. Besides her role as a LeaN On caseworker, she is also a cadre at TB Care Aisyiyah, an administrator of the Elderly Women’s Empowerment Institute (LPPLU) of Medan, the head of Muslimat NU at the sub-district level, as well as an active member of the COVID-19 Task Force.
“Social work is ingrained in my life. I cannot ignore it when knowing someone needs help. Saying “no” is the most difficult thing to do. I mean, how do we say no when someone is asking for help?” said Sri who has been doing social works for more than 40 years.
In 2002, Sri started a foundation that is focusing on women and children-related issues. Through this foundation, Lembaga Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Peduli Anak (LPPA) Wanita Sejati, she regularly conducts training for the women in her neighborhood. Cooking and waste recycling are two of the various training she has provided.
Thus, it is not surprising to know that the local government selected Sri to represent North Sumatra in the 2020 Indonesian Women Initiator Award held by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.
Recently, her foundation secured 40 million rupiahs of funding from the Ministry of Social Affairs to execute a women entrepreneurship program. Thus, Sri has enthusiastically invited 20 women participants of LeaN On to join the program.
“When we receive a blessing from someone, we should share it with others. Nobody should take it all for themselves alone. You don’t want to have your tummy full while others are hungry. We don’t do that.”- Sri Rostiaty, LeaN On by INVEST DM’s caseworker for Medan area, North Sumatra.
LeaN On by INVEST DM is an inclusive RCCE program that aims to provide access to risk information and education on COVID-19 prevention, including information on available social protection services, for 165 thousand people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in seven regions in Indonesia. This program is supported by the American people through USAID, and in partnership with BNPB, Kemenkumham, MAJu (The Asia Foundation) and a consortium of partners consisting of Mercy Corps Indonesia, ASB, ThisAble, Human Initiative and AtmaConnect.
The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Government or the USAID.
