The city of Pemba, Mozambique is facing a complex health crisis in the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasingly violent insurgency, and a myriad of challenges related to hosting tens of thousands of people displaced by the conflict. The government’s limited ability to address these crises compounds feelings of marginalization among citizens—grievances that Islamic State-Mozambique (IS-M) exploits to gain support and recruits.
To mitigate these grievances, USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) Tuko Pamoja program worked with the Provincial Governor of Cabo Delgado to implement a public health campaign. The campaign installed over 200 handwashing stations and included additional health-related outreach throughout underserved neighborhoods in Pemba. At the heart of this initiative, and key to its success, were the city’s Community Health Information Officers (CHIOs). Despite the historic distrust (and even violence) directed at public health workers, the CHIOs went door-to-door to correct misinformation circulating about the pandemic, teach people how to remain safe and healthy, and distribute supplies. Here are a few of their stories:
Joyce, 29: Joyce sold cosmetics and clothing in the markets in Pemba before becoming a CHIO. Many of her relatives were forced to flee their homes after their villages were attacked. Now, Joyce supports them by providing food and shelter. She found her work as a CHIO to be deeply rewarding and hopes to pursue a career in community development.
Rodman, 27: Rodman is no stranger to public health work, having previously worked with Pathfinder International on community health initiatives. Like Joyce, Rodman also supports family members who fled violence. He described his work as a CHIO as “incredible and wonderful,” and plans to continue to help those who need his support.
Cecilia, 20: A student studying biology, Cecilia witnessed how her neighbors were struggling to support their displaced family members and felt she had to do her part to help in whatever way she could. She described her time as a CHIO as challenging, but immensely rewarding.
Celso, 26: Celso has lost many of his family members to the violence. Passionate about education, he was disturbed to see children’s schooling disrupted by both conflict and the pandemic. Celso hopes to use his experience as a CHIO to continue working with communities and teaching children about peaceful coexistence.
Community heroes like these also help mitigate IS-M narratives and misinformation. Their work was critical to the success of the OTI-supported public health campaign, and directly contributed to the government’s ongoing efforts to address grievances related to the multiple crises in Pemba.
“As a CHIO, I learned how to relate with different types of persons with different lifestyles. In the future, I have a dream to get my degree in Science of Community Development to better apply all the knowledge that I already have as CHIO.” - Joyce, a CHIO in Mozambique
USAID/OTI/Mozambique