Communication Strategies in Child Feeding With Reference to Essential Service For Health in Ethiopia (ESHE) Operation Areas: The Case Of Haramaya Woreda
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Date
2007-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Exploring the communication strategies employed by an international non-governmental
organization (NGO) ESHE-Oromia (Essential Service for Health in Ethiopia), operating
in three Regional States-Oromia, Amhara and South Nation Nationalities and Peoples
Region (SNNPR) to promote child feeding as an integral part of its child survival project.
The study primarily focused on Information, Education and Communication (IEC)
System EHSE-Oromia was employing to create awareness of the community on child
feeding. The major issues raised in the study were socio-cultural barriers that hinder
particularly exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding, communication
strategies employed to promote child feeding, appropriateness of contents of the
messages intended to reach the target groups and lesson that could be learned from the
project. Data were collected through Qualitative type of research methods designed.
Using semi-structured guiding questions for Focus Group Discussions (FGDs),
individual in depth interview and participants' observation, the data were collected. In
rare cases informal discussions were also held to seal the gaps where the needs arisen.
The study was based in Haramaya Woreda, East Hararghe Zone in Oromia Regional
State. The qualitative data gathered from the two villages - Finkille and Tinike Peasant
Associations (PAs) of Haramaya woreda were qualitatively analyzed and discussed
based on the fundamental theories employed in the study: participatory, development and
the two-step flow of communications and the research questions raised in the study.
Accordingly, the study indicates that the major communication strategies exploited by
ESHE-Oromo and most favored by the community was interpersonal communication.
Radio-Harar, which was mostly accessed by the community, was unnoticed. Further
more, the most favored places to exchange in formation were found to be market,
wedding ceremonies, mourning ceremonies and other social gatherings like Afosha (mini
self help associations). On the other hand, discarding colostrums and giving butter to
newborn babies as a medicine were found to be some of the major harmful traditional
practices in the study areas. Failure of consistent follow-up of the activities of volunteer
community Health Promoters (CHPs) and employment of pictures that does not represent
the community at the study sites were also some of the problems the study revealed.
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Keywords
Child Feeding