![\"AYAG](\"https:\/\/amref.org\/et\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/12\/AYAG-Leaders-Engage-in-Community-Outreach-to-Fight-COVID-19-and-Gender-Based-Violence-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIn response to COVID-19 in Ethiopia, the Amref Youth Advisory Group (AYAG) mobilized to launch a community outreach initiative to increase the awareness of communities on COVID-19, and promote prevention through behavior change informed by risk communication and community engagement.<\/p>\n
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The AYAG\u2019s COVID-19 community outreach initiative took to the streets to maximize the reach of mass messaging on the importance of frequent hand washing, social distancing, and wearing a mask in all public places, as recommended by the WHO. They targeted densely populated markets and public spaces to counter disinformation by delivering fact-based messaging on virus transmission, prevention, and how to access services such as testing and toll-free call centres. These messages were disseminated by the AYAG members in person, using megaphones, not only to educate the community on COVID-19, but also to make a call to action for the community to take precaution as best as possible.<\/p>\n
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A recent rise in sexual violence against children in Ethiopia has led the AYAG to make raising awareness on sexual violence in the context of COVID-19 a priority. The AYAG\u2019s community outreach initiative has echoed key messages of \u2018No More Violence against Girls and Women\u2019 in nine sub-cities of Addis Ababa to increase awareness on the rise of gender-based violence (GBV), an unintended impact of COVID-19, and to encourage individuals to speak out and challenge GBV in their communities. Through this initiative, more than 225,000 people were reached during community outreach in July and September.<\/p>\n
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The AYAG was established with a strong spirit of social impact and demand for active participation in decision making affecting youth. Their involvement in community-level COVID-19 response and anti-sexual violence organizing is a prime example of a youth-responsive approach, shifting practice norms away from working for young people to working in partnership with young people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In response to COVID-19 in Ethiopia, the Amref Youth Advisory Group (AYAG) mobilized to launch a community outreach initiative to increase the awareness of communities on COVID-19, and promote prevention […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[113],"tags":[114],"yst_prominent_words":[23,25],"class_list":["post-374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-engagement","tag-amref-youth-advisory-group"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/amref.org\/ethiopia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/12\/AYAG-Leaders-Engage-in-Community-Outreach-to-Fight-COVID-19-and-Gender-Based-Violence.jpg","yoast_head":"\n