Stories from the field - DRC

Communication In Action

DRC

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The Owl Approach: Night vaccination protects children of the DRC’s Kitawala religious group against polio - part 3

We whisper like thieves as we enter the Kadima Mission at night through the palms, their spikey shadows projected on the ground in the light of the moon. An Armed Kitawala named Kitobo leads the way, silent and barefoot. He guides the group away from the homes, and away from curious eyes.

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The “Elephant King” of the Congo: Making a Powerful Ally in the Fight to End Polio - Part 2

Part 2: A Trojan Horse Strategy
At the entrance to the Kadima Mission, you are greeted with branches of acacia flowers. White doves are freed into the air around you. You cross the grounds of the mission, which belongs to the Filadelphie Kitawala sect in the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

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The “Elephant King” of the Congo: Making a Powerful Ally in the Fight to End Polio - Part 1

Part 1: Gaining the Ear of an Elephant King
In the past, “PP2” – a charismatic pastor of the Kitawala Filadelphie Sect in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – counseled his religious followers to refuse vaccination against polio. Now he has begun to change his approach.

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A question of trust: reasons for refusals revealed by DR Congo study

Overt and covert refusals contribute to as many as four out of ten missed children in DR Congo, one of the highest rates globally. As part of ongoing efforts to mobilize parents against polio, a key UNICEF led study has helped reveal the...

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Actress Mia Farrow promotes polio eradication in Africa

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow visited Chad and Democratic Republic of Congo in February to promote polio eradication and other initiatives. “Children have a lot of challenges here anyway, and one we can eliminate is polio,” said Ms....

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In DR Congo, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow encourages polio vaccination in reluctant communities

KASAMBONDO VILLAGE/NYUNZU/MUKAWA VILLAGE, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 27 February 2012 – Pedaling by hand, Mulasi Husseini forces her wheelchair through the sand and into the eastern village of Kasambondo. Her...

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