Rinda Ubuzima in parallel of conducting clinical trials in Rwanda, has been doing community engagement and outreach activities to raise awareness of the target population regarding the voluntary Ebola vaccination campaign branded as UMURINZI Program and
the Dapivirine Ring Awareness Campaign to name the few.
Rinda Ubuzima takes pride in conducting community engagement and outreach activities in:
– ensuring respect for the social, cultural and political realities of where these activities are being conducted
– ensuring a supportive environment for the participants
– maximizing general awareness about studies/ campaigns and maximizing opportunities for dialogue, consultation and formation of authentic partnerships between different stakeholders
– fostering trust in the community about the studies/campaigns
The process of engagement ensures communities are empowered and have control on the decision-making process. At Rinda Ubuzima before we start a community engagement effort, we ought to:
– be clear about the purpose of community engagement and outreach effort
– become knowledgeable about the community in terms of its economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history and experience with engagement efforts
Our community engagement team is constantly aware of opportunities to raise awareness of studies/campaigns and is highly competent in developing effective communication materials that are used throughout the studies/campaigns.