Objective:
This project aims to bring on board community members who tested positive for Covid and are strong to speak up about their experience showing that catching the virus is not a social stigma and should not lead to discriminatory behaviors.
Project roadmap:
In this project, Sharekkna team, its volunteers, and its partners invite communities in the MENA region to watch people raising their voices about the pandemic and speaking loudly about their Covid experience. The main message is to show that words matter and that it is not wrong to talk about people who have Covid or died because of Covid. Short videos are filmed and posted on Sharekkna platforms and shared online where people confidently say “YES! I tested Positive” for Covid, and there is nothing wrong in getting treatment or showing symptoms, as long as prevention and safety are considered.
Background:
According to the World Health Organization, social stigma in health is “the negative association between a person or group of people who share certain characteristics and a specific disease.” In the Covid times, people are stereotyped, labeled, and discriminated against. The social stigma and discriminatory behaviors negatively affect individuals with Covid, their family, and friends. Stigma can isolate people, drive them to hide their illnesses to avoid discrimination, and even prevent them from seeking medical care. Raising one’s voice about Covid helps shed light on the disease, minimizes the stigma built around it, and allows experts to manage the pandemic better.
Target Population:
Communities in the MENA region
Project Timeline:
2020-2022