In order to bridge the information gap about coronavirus, students from Kampala International University (KIU) main campus have joined the rest of the world in spreading the gospel of precautionary measures against the Coronavirus.
This has been done through a collaboration between KIU students and their media crew of Media Challenge Initiative (MCI). In this they are translating and recording information about the deadly virus in various languages of their origin.
According to Kakembo Ali, a media professional at the MCI, this is one of the ways through which KIU community can sensitize the public about the pandemic through the use of local languages. And that also, it trains students to become future journalists through sharing of genuine information.
“As people who deal with information, we cannot just look on as fake news is spreading within our communities because of the gap between literates and illiterates. We need to make sure that people get the right information translated into their local languages so that every Ugandan is aware of what is taking place. And the best way to do it, was to partner with University students and MCI Fellowship, to record information that sensitizes the general public on the do’s and the don’ts in line with directives from the Ministry of Health,’’ Kakembo explained.
He added by calling upon all University students who are now in this short holiday to assist the Ministry of Health in sharing accurate information via their social media platforms.
Those who participated in the translating ministry of health’s information about coronavirus included;
Martha Kahunde who translated the message from English to Runyoro, Andrew Onen, a first year student of diploma in mass communication translated coronavirus information from English to Luo, Noah Omuya translated the message into Ateso, the language spoken by the Iteso in the North Eastern part of Uganda. All these recordinngs are going to be played on an online radio for MCI and also on local radio stations that are found in different parts of the country.
