PROJECT REPORT ON DIGITAL TRAINING ON COVID-19 AND VACCINATION AWARENESS FOR AFRICAN MSMES

A Report compiled by

Project Introduction Project Justification Project Objectives Target Audience Target Countries Target Numbers Project Implementation Training Curriculum Partners: Countries Translation Incentivization Trainee Beneficiaries Posters Story Telling Content Dissemination Workshops Project Impact Project Feedback Project Learnings Proposal For Additional Training

4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 8 9 10 10 10 11 15 16 16 17 18 18 19

“The best part of the training was how informal and personal it was. Bringing it down to the basics, and packaging serious issues in a light, organized way that puts you at the centre. What would you do? What would I do?” Amenu Addae

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The COVID-19 situation has evolved further and we are dealing with a significant global challenge. With the rapid onset of this global pandemic, many governments have understandably resorted to strict and impactful measures to safeguard their citizens. Further to the health concerns, we are seeing an impact on the wider economy, especially under MSMEs in Africa in regard to a high one-on-one interaction rate between them and their customers. In light of this, we created a campaign to ensure quick adoption of safe practices along the value chain, borrowing heavily from the two-step flow model of communication. We employed the use of opinion shapers in spreading correct information on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations, with MSMEs as our community leaders. By close of campaign, we had trained over 84,888 MSMEs via USSD and SMS platform across 11 African countries using over 6 local languages across different media including digital and SMS. Participants were incentivized with airtime, data bundles and SMS packages seeing that most were using feature phones. We had a total reach of 325,346 MSMEs in the continent with each trained SME projected to have a knock-on effect with an impact of up to a million people.

From this campaign, we learnt that time and technology is a challenge for most enterprise owners. Many would not take off work to attend a seminar and an even higher number were not technology savvy to attend webinars. There is need to incorporate hybrid training methods while reaching out to these MSMEs. Secondly, there shall be greater reach in this and future campaigns with the right kind of partnerships like FMCG and MNOs.

PROJECT INTRODUCTION The Problem: High infection rate among MSMEs in Africa due to their increased customer base interactions.

The Objective: Ensure quick adoption of safe practices along the value chains. The Goal: Transform MSMEs into community leaders who can be used as opinion shapers in spreading correct information on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations. The Opportunity: Increased availability of COVID-19 tests and the advent of COVID-19 vaccines called for timely information and awareness to bolster and match crucial developments and steps towards flattening the curve of COVID19infections. The Plan: − Train the African MSMEs and the public that COVID-19 is still with us and that adherence to the COVID-19 protocols is a personal responsibility and communal duty to protect themselves through vaccination for the benefit of the community. − Empower MSME owners to empower their hundreds of clients that they interact with daily.

PROJECT INTRODUCTION

•

Project Objectives

•

Development of training modules;

•

Identification of target groups and the most relevant ways to reach them;

•

Localization of culturally relevant and persuasive key messages;

•

Implementation of training modules to 50,000 African MSMEs;

•

Production and dissemination of posters;

•

Production of storytelling material – videos, written features and images;

•

Vaccination content dissemination from program partners;

•

Hosting vaccination awareness workshops; and

•

Project monitoring and relaying of feedback.

TRAINING OBJECTIVE

PROJECT INTRODUCTION Target Audience ●

Africa MSME Owners. (Farmers, merchants, small businesses etc.)

Target Countries

●

Lesotho

●

Mozambique

●

Ghana

●

Tanzania

●

Kenya

●

Egypt

●

DRC

Target Numbers

●

50,000 trained MSMEs across Africa.

Training

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Curriculum: The training was implemented via USSD and SMS platform.

USSD Training Challenges a) It was faster to set up the USSD. It is a simple method of communication as it gives participants options and they don’t have to think too much about their answers. b) When the USSD code is a trusted name ID e.g. UNILEVER, AIRTEL, MTN the participation rate is much higher. c) USSD code setup delays during the festive period d) High drop off rates (busy schedules of the beneficiaries) e) Time lapse (frustrated beneficiaries into restarting the training when code expired) f) Lengthy process: The USSD training where the codes were sent to beneficiaries from their aggregators/associations.

SMS Training ● An interactive SMS-based training. ● Beneficiaries responded with ‘1’ after receiving a preliminary SMS. ● The SMS Campaign was highly successful because:

a) b)

Interest: Beneficiaries were eager to receive the next lesson on SMS. Immediacy: The SMS were not time-bound like the USSD platform. Beneficiaries could return to the training anytime to complete the training.

CURRICULUM

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ● Partners: 1. Mobile Network Operators: South Africa, Cote d'ivoire, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria & Tanzania. 2. Local partners: Translation, ground work (Distribution of posters, storytelling.)

COUNTRIES

South Africa

Cote d’ivoire

Uganda

Malawi

Rwanda

Ghana

Botswana

Zambia

Kenya

Nigeria

Tanzania

●

Translation

USSD and SMS were translated into local dialects to ease communication including: −

French,

−

Twi,

−

Luganda,

−

Yoruba,

−

Igbo

−

Kinyarwanda

●

Incentivization

−

Successfully trained MSMEs were rewarded with airtime (preferred as most beneficiaries use feature phones) or Airtime+Data Bundle+SMS package.

TRAINEE BENEFICIARIES • Successful completions: 84,888 MSMEs • Incomplete: 240,458 MSMEs across Africa attempted the training but did not complete. (Completed mostly 2 questions)

• Total reach: 325,346 MSMEs across Africa.

POSTERS Design: The art work on the posters was done by Catherine Jepkemboi, also known as ‘Minicheps’ for her highly interactive and visual posters. The 25-yearold artist who hails from Eldoret- Kenya, loves to capture her simple life with interesting photographs her fans can relate to. Minicheps, a mother of two, never completed school (Class Eight dropout) but her creativity is something that captures the viewer’s imagination, plunging one into a sensory explosion. Minicheps had begun making Covid-19 entertainment posters well before we contracted her, eliciting huge reactions and fans across the nation for her work. Her uniqueness and passion capture the essence of the campaign, as well as her resilience and resolve to keep pushing while maintaining high professional and creative standards, with her work replicated across MSMEs in 11 African countries. Distribution of Posters: Displayed on various streets, notice boards, shops, clinics, road sides. − Posters were interactive and appreciated − Posters were also uploaded on the Zwena and the Mastercard Foundation social media pages − Posters to be shared with the Agency for use by other Mastercard Foundation partners for maximum visibility

CONTENT DISSEMINATION With an increasingly mobile and digital village, we disseminated information through digital and social media. Making use of creative and attentiongrabbing posters from Minicheps, we shared across the 11 African

countries, on the MSMEs pages and partner pages as well as website landing pages. The most popular channels included Instagram, Facebook and Twitter with LinkedIn really influential in spreading awareness over a

larger, more business-focused clientele. The interaction was highly engaging with expected User Generated Content

(UGC) and queries from our audience. The Content Managers then answered rising queries whilst providing guidance on Covid-19 Vaccinations and guidelines depending on the country

CONTENT DISSEMINATION

Workshops Interpersonal communication is extremely effective in changing opinions. Through ground workshops, participants were able to rase

questions they otherwise would have no means of asking, whether caused by using feature phones or general lack of awareness, the ground workshops provided an opportunity to hear and share views. We held over XXX workshops in XXX countries organized by local community leaders and flanked by particular MSMEs in each host

country. We had a total reach of XXX over a XXX period of time. The tipping point of ground workshops was the highly interactive nature and on-ground demonstration of how Covid-19 is easily spread and the regulations around it as well as how they can take action to not only protect themselves, but also their loved ones and

act as agents of change in their community. Done both online and through physical meetings: −

M-Pesa Agents

−

Airtel Agents

−

Unilever Team

PROJECT IMPACT Substantial increase in the awareness of and confidence in COVID-19 vaccination by beneficiaries. Participants felt more attuned and knowledgeable about Covid-19 and its vaccines, as well as how to protect themselves and their loved ones. There was a lot of debunking of myths associated with Covid-19, for instance, that children cannot get it and if you don’t show any signs, you cannot get it. The community was trained to understand how Covid-19 works, knowing that no one is spared: you are either affected or infected. Agents of change: Each trained SME to impact a projected one million people cumulatively by spreading information on the COVID-19 Vaccine to at least 5 people. By making everyone personally liable, we put the weight of responsibility on each person’s shoulders, making them aware of how every decision could potentially have a huge impact on the community at large. Each one, teach one. Interest: The creativity behind the posters maximizes its exposure and visibility for a longer impact in the community. By going against the grain, the posters were evocative and lasted longer in participants minds. With its novelty and action-packed punch, it ensured participants were gripped and pulled in to recall the information. Changed Mindsets: With new information, the beneficiaries are better equipped to observe COVID-19 protocols. Covid-19 was no longer a ‘them’ problem, but a ‘we’ problem. It is how you personally take care of yourself that will impact how your loved ones and consequently how the community takes care of itself. Increased uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination across the Continent. We shall continue to monitor uptake of vaccines in the towns and countries where the training was conducted.

Strengthened resilience: Through COVID-19 vaccinations, MSMEs have a more optimistic outlook on their business stabilizing after the devastating effects of the pandemic. Human resources are the most important capital in the world, and by having a robust continent, businesses are able to grow faster and stronger as well as provide a better working environment for its people and sustainable living standards for the community.

PROJECT FEEDBACK

I can't wait to get back home and share this training with my parents who are local farmers (University of Dar Es Salaam student)

We enjoyed the informal fun approach of the training in our very serious world and profession. We highly recommend the team – Ghanaian army officer

Please thank on my behalf everyone who was involved in the preparation and execution of the training. I can’t wait to attend future trainings given the opportunity – Malawi small business owner.

It’s good to know that such large organizations care about small people like us. They care about our health, our economic situation and lives generally – A money agent in Rwanda.

Summary: The beneficiaries started engaging in conversations with their loved ones regarding COVID-19, its prevalence in their communities and ways of keeping themselves safe including vaccination.

PROJECT LEARNINGS Training Period: The time required to undergo the training on USSD was roughly 2 minutes, a little stretched for the busy MSMEs and we recommend SMS-based training in future. Feature phones & workshops: A majority of the MSMEs engaged use feature phones that are unable to receive emails or social media messages like WhatsApp proving a challenge when information was sent to aggregator for distribution. Solution: Incorporate a

hybrid system: Digital and physical. Reach: Due to time and financial restrictions, we capped out more MSMEs. In each country, we had to cap the number of participants when theyed country targets. The number of MSMEs surpassed our expectations and our plans.

Partnerships: We engaged several partners eager to work with us in delivery of the project. These include MNOs, FMCG companies eg Coca Cola/Unilever, small associations. These partners have the African reach in each village, town, city and country across Africa maximizing our project goals. Need for training: During the project, we gathered feedback on the challenges faced by these marginalized group of business owners from lack of access to capital, financial literacy, gender bias, high rate of closure of startups, barriers to market, difficulties in marketing

etc. There is more to be done to support these local MSMEs.

PROPOSAL FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING

PROPOSAL FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING ●

The training was well received by the beneficiaries and communities in general.

●

The training was commended by various organizations including Mobile Money Operators eg. Mpesa Africa, Airtel, MTN and Fast-

Moving Consumer Goods Companies (FMCGs) eg Unilever who have shown keen interest in Zwena training their retailers and merchants on COVID-19 protection measures, COVID-19 vaccines and other training elements like financial literacy and gender empowerment among their SMEs.

●

The initial proposal was to train 100,000 SMEs across Africa. Parties agreed to contract in phases. Phase 1 targeted successful training of at least 50,000 MSMEs. To date the project has trained 85,000 MSMEs. Under Phase 2 we propose training a further 100,000.

●

Under Phase 3 we have an opportunity to deepen partnerships with MNOs and FMCGs to reach 1 million traders - this would have significant transformative potential.

PROPOSED PARTNERS