September 30, 2007

Child-friendly communities undertake communication planning

San Jose, Antique Seven recipient barangays of the 6th Country Program for Children here recently attended Communication Planning Workshop towards behavior change with the goal of reducing disparity of child-friendly indicators, said Eric Otayde, Provincial Information Officer.

Among the issues and problems identified during the activity which required community mobilization to achieve the goal were malnutrition, high drop out rate, low achievement rate, low level of awareness of the importance of good health among parents and caregivers, limited source of income and poor health and sanitation practices.

Participants to the workshop were child-rights duty-bearers who include members of the local council for children, parents, community leaders and child-rights holders who are mothers and children themselves.

The CPC covered barangays are Bacalan, Sebaste; Igpanulong, Sibalom; Dalipe, San Jose; Tubog-Lapaz, Hamtic; Camancijan, Culasi and Pandanan, Valderrama. These barangays were identified by the child friendly movement team with big disparities in child-friendly indicators particularly on health and survival, protection, development and participation rights of children.

During the training the participants listed specific issues in their respective areas and identified key persons/audience as target of information dissemination and advocacy in order to come up with the desired behavior. Effective communication channel identified to suit a special audience. Most participants preferred interpersonal communications and printed materials as their channels of communication.

Communication plans of barangays will be included in the 2008 Work and Financial Plans as component of the CPC 6 to justify the availment of financial and technical assistance from UNICEF.

Otayde urged barangay and municipal councils for the protection of children to support these communication plans to help achieve the vision of the barangay of becoming child -friendly by reducing disparity indicators through community mobilization

1 comment:

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