By Abdullahi Jamaa
When many people were working from home, journalist Abdinoor Ali Elhadji had little time to rest. Every morning on weekdays he hosted a live television show and in afternoons he engaged in planning for the next.
Behind the television screen, he led an earnest media campaign to educate his Somali audience about Covid-19. At first, it was a race against time to confront a barrage of endless infodemic about Coronavirus.
On a noble mission, he had to return almost every morning with a guest expert to spread the correct information about the pandemic. With an insatiable desire to reach his fans, Abdinoor pulled out all the stops while connecting the right dots.
“My motivation was the urge to educate my community about Covid-19 and its dangers,” Abdinoor told Smart Muslim “When the first case was reported in Kenya, many in my community could not take it seriously”
His morning show that airs from 9 am to 11 am at Star Television Network (STN) broadcasting from Nairobi, liberated the airwaves reaching out to more than four million viewers connected to the station from Kenya to neighboring countries.
He brought in experts and local leaders to provide a stream of reliable and correct narrative surrounding the virus. It was an all-out battle against on and offline propaganda which inspired Abdinoor to throw himself into the campaign with the zeal of a crusader.
“Initially, the Somali community didn’t take Covid-19 seriously, some people perceived that the virus is meant for white people, others even said if a person lives in a hot area one cannot get the virus,” he said
Timely show
His show was timely, cutting across all angles. From heath to the economic perspective of the pandemic and from social to religious impact, Abdinoor had to research every itsy-bitsy of information regarding Covid-19.
“So, each day I tackled a different angle on issues regarding Covid-19 just to show how serious the pandemic is”
Fake testimonies and memes were already spreading on various social media platforms misleading the overwhelming majority of the largely uneducated Somali community.
With fear and anxiety growing and many people consuming huge amounts of misinformation, Abdinoor had to step in countering rumors that were spreading like wildfires.
The young journalist’s show offered a reliable source of information which helped both national and international efforts to curb the spread of the virus. His media drive supplemented and complimented the ongoing efforts.
For Abdinoor it was all about giving his best in sending out an authentic version of information that his community needed so badly. It was not just about presenting a show, it was about finding the facts and spreading the truth.
He assumed the true journalistic mantle of setting the agenda. He too showed true mettle at a time of unease and widespread misunderstanding. He was on the frontline to treat his fans with optimism and courage.
“Surely it took a while to make them understand that Covid-19 is real and anybody can get it” he observes
Positive result
Ordinarily, Abdinoor’s show is a current affairs program that dissects various topics while engaging influential personalities from the community. With corona in the country, his program priority immediately changed in a bid to join the response to Corona.
The impact of his campaign is felt with confident feedback from the community. Leaving a positive result in stopping the spread of the disease, members of the community are adapting to behavior change as Covid-19 risk stands.
“It has definitely educated the masses especially the Somali speaking and it has helped in curbing the spread of Covid-19. He has played a big role in awareness creation” said Halima Saadhiya Hillow, a public health expert.
Within the community, he is appreciated for his sensitization work while invigorating the dire need for an all-out promotion of containment measures such as washing hands, wearing facemasks, and keeping social distance.
“Abdinoor is doing great work and bringing real stories and facts about Corona to his audiences and fans” said Mr.Harun M. Hassan, the Executive Director of Northern Nomadic Disabled Persons’ Organization (NONDO). “He also supported us in some scripting on Covid-19 and awareness creations on disability”
Yet still, the battle is on for Abdinoor who believes that there is a lot more to be done in response to the pandemic. He has a lot lined up in his program grid for the coming days.
“The effect of fake news is a big problem, still there is a need for more information on Covd-19” He says
And one day when Covid-19 ends Abdinoor hopes to tackle more daring topics that affect his community such as climate change and livestock development.
“I really feel very proud of educating my community. Nothing is sweeter than giving back to society in the form of educating them”
