Empowering Local Action for Disaster Resilience
Community engagement is crucial for controlling disease outbreaks and mitigating natural and industrial disasters. The COVID-19 pandemic has reconfirmed the need to elevate community engagement and health literacy to build equity, trust, and sustained action in future health promotion preparedness strategies.
Using the health promotion approach of strengthening community action enhances the opportunity for better outcomes. There is, therefore, a need to improve our understanding of community engagement practices during crises, scale up good community engagement initiatives, and improve and sustain people-centered approaches to emergency responses.
This article presents five impactful case studies from the United States, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Kenya, and South Africa that demonstrate the potential strengths of community-based organizations (CBOs) in building resilience and mitigating the impact of disasters and emergencies. The cases highlight key strategies for harnessing CBOs to achieve sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) preparedness.
Leveraging Community Assets for Disaster Response
The chlorine gas disaster response in Graniteville, South Carolina provides a compelling example of how community engagement can improve emergency management. When a train derailment caused a chlorine spill that led to deaths and injuries, past disaster responses had not adequately addressed community engagement.
However, the research team from the University of South Carolina partnered with local stakeholders from the start, identifying and addressing community-identified health and environmental concerns. They formed a community advisory board that fostered local ownership and catalyzed resource mobilization to support the response efforts. Recruiting and involving community members empowered them and increased their sense of agency.
The early engagement of the Graniteville community was crucial, as it provided additional resources and helped navigate technical and managerial capacity gaps. The authors emphasize that listening to affected people is essential for planning successful emergency responses.
Amplifying Community Voices in Ebola Response
During the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, the rapid early spread of the virus was attributed to weak social mobilization and community engagement practices. In response, the NGO Action Contre la Faim (ACF) partnered with district health teams to introduce the Community-Led Ebola Management and Eradication (CLEME) approach.
The CLEME program employed a five-phase process that involved community members in multiple stages to build trust and relationships. They used communication and engagement strategies that enhanced community participation and addressed the needs of low-literate members. Many small communities that implemented CLEME had higher group participation, which hastened social cohesion and built ownership.
According to the report, the CLEME program’s success factors included continuous analysis of the situation and adaptation of messages and strategies, incorporation of tools and strategies that addressed the unique needs of women, men, boys, and girls, and integration with existing community-based initiatives. The integration with existing structures was critical for the program’s viability and the continuity of community mobilization in emergencies.
Engaging Migrant Worker Communities in Singapore
In Singapore, migrant workers, mainly from Bangladesh, India, and China, make up a significant percentage of the population and live in highly overcrowded dormitories, putting them at high risk of COVID-19 infection. The NGO My Brother SG and the National University of Singapore initiated a Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) project to address the specific communication and engagement needs of this vulnerable population.
The project began with an assessment of communication requirements, followed by developing and adapting information products, and recruiting and forming teams. Culturally sensitive communication and engagement strategies were deployed, including understanding hierarchies, co-creating products, organizing participatory workshops, and incorporating community feedback in decision-making.
The report highlighted the project’s successful strategies, such as inviting migrant worker social media influencers to co-host regular webinars, which created opportunities for reinforcing relational connections. Listening to the affected people and establishing two-way communication and co-creation addressed their concerns and enabled the incorporation of their perspectives in the project design and rollout.
Harnessing Community Assets in Kenya’s COVID-19 Response
In Kenya, the African Institute for Health and Development (AIHD) and IUHPE/Vital Strategies collaborated with the Nairobi Metropolitan Services, the Ministry of Health, and key stakeholders to engage the community in the COVID-19 response. They employed Health Promotion Officers (HPOs) to implement intervention activities and train Community Own Resource Persons (CORPs) – including religious and traditional leaders, community health workers, and youth leaders – to serve as change agents in the Ruai and Njiru wards of Nairobi.
The project’s multi-strategy approach through advocacy, community engagement, social mobilization, and media communication proved effective. Advocacy ensured smooth community entry, capacity building of the CORPs resulted in a shared understanding of the strategies, and the communication strategy ensured that key messages were tailored to local needs.
The use of Community Engagement Forums addressed misinformation and myths, while testimonials from COVID-19 survivors enabled the community to understand the disease through lived experience. Incorporating the deaf and physically disabled as CORPs fostered inclusion and acceptability within their social groups.
Strengthening Community Resilience in South Africa
In South Africa, the IUHPE/Vital Strategies project focused on resource-limited rural and urban settings within three districts in the Limpopo Province. The team collected baseline data, produced an app for household preparedness, conducted a ‘Train the Trainers’ workshop for community health workers, and tapped into existing networks of traditional leaders, healers, religious leaders, artists, teachers, and school staff.
A key success factor was the partnership with the Department of Health and the University of Limpopo, which ensured a high level of trust and cooperation. The translation of risk communication messages into local languages helped to dispel misconceptions. When the community experienced a spike in cases, they were able to quickly reverse the trend, demonstrating the effectiveness of the community-based approach.
However, the project also highlighted structural barriers, such as inadequate water supply, housing conditions unsuitable for social distancing, low levels of health literacy, and unfavorable socio-cultural practices, all of which hindered the expected success of the intervention strategies. Addressing these systemic challenges is crucial for enabling communities to translate knowledge into sustained behavior change.
Principles for Effective Community Engagement
The case studies presented offer several key principles for harnessing community-based organizations to achieve sustainable WASH preparedness:
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Start Early and Build Relationships: Engage communities from the outset, cultivating trust and relationships that allow for meaningful participation throughout the emergency management cycle.
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Leverage Existing Assets: Work through existing community structures, leaders, and initiatives rather than creating parallel systems. Identify and build upon local strengths, knowledge, and resources.
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Ensure Diverse and Inclusive Representation: Engage a wide range of community members, including marginalized groups, to capture diverse perspectives and experiences. Address historic inequities and barriers to participation.
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Employ Culturally Relevant Strategies: Tailor communication, engagement, and capacity-building approaches to local contexts, languages, and cultural norms. Validate information and strategies with the community.
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Promote Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Regularly analyze the evolving situation and community needs, adjusting strategies accordingly. Incorporate community feedback to improve program relevance and effectiveness.
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Prioritize Sustainability and Resilience: Embed community engagement within broader emergency preparedness and response systems. Strengthen local capacities and support community-led initiatives to ensure long-term impact.
Conclusion: Embracing the Power of Community
The case studies demonstrate the immense value of harnessing community-based organizations to achieve sustainable WASH preparedness. By empowering local action, amplifying community voices, and addressing systemic barriers, these initiatives have improved emergency response, built trust, and strengthened community resilience.
As we contend with the growing frequency and complexity of disasters, it is crucial to elevate community engagement as a core principle of WASH preparedness. Only by working in true partnership with local communities can we ensure equitable, effective, and lasting solutions that protect the most vulnerable.
The Joint Action for Water blog is committed to sharing such inspiring stories of community-driven action. We encourage you to explore https://jointactionforwater.org/ to learn more about the power of community-based organizations in addressing global water and sanitation challenges.
