Stay Strong, Stay Standing: Session 3 Recording & Key Takeaways

This session answers questions related to preparation and resiliency during COVID-19, including how to prepare for future crises, as well as put in place measured and policies for dealing with the future effects of COVID-19.

YOU CAN ONLY RESPOND TO WHAT YOU CAN PREPARE FOR

• We can’t predict the future, so don’t try! Instead, plan based on the most up-to-date information. Think through the possible disasters that could arise and map activities and interventions against these to prepare. Utilize tools such as CARE insights and CARE’s Emergency Management Toolkit.
• Disasters don’t impact everyone equally—conducting a Rapid Gender Analysis helps to understand how a crisis will impact women and girls in your community.

ADVOCATE FOR SRH BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER CRISES – 5 KEY CONSIDERATIONS

• Power in numbers. Work with other youth advocates to share similar messages and recommendations.
• Everyone has a unique role to play in the pandemic response. Get to know who is involved.
• Be nimble and creative. Don’t just deliver a message, provide accompanying recommendations too.
• Work with messages that resonate. Facts and consequences work with politicians and decision-makers.
• Your voice is a powerful tool! Document everything you are doing and share what’s happening in your community on social media to share with donors and other organizations working in SRH.

FIND END USERS WHERE THEY ARE

• Shift how you use social media, so it isn’t just for sharing your work but a way to actively engage users, provide services, and strengthen programming. Leverage existing channels that are already part of people’s daily lives, such as WhatsApp, to provide telehealth and keep communication with beneficiaries open.
• Develop and strengthen ties with other organizations to ensure beneficiaries have access to services.
• Be in constant listening mode. Adapt interventions using principles of human-centered design.

SMALLER ORGANIZATION FUNDRAISING METHODS

• Be at the table. Join partnerships, coalitions, forums, and CONTRIBUTE! Be clear about what knowledge and experience you offer to the moment. Check out Charter for Change to connect with organizations in your country about localized humanitarian aid.
• Don’t underestimate the power of the movement. Bring youth in your work and mission and tell your story!
• Check out these grant and planning resources: Writing a successful grant proposal, Grant writing webinar, BridgeSpan tool (scenario planning for nonprofit organizations).
• Share your COVID experience on visible platforms such as UNICEF’s Voices for Youth and their U reporter program. Donors can search these platforms for your stories and connect with you!

GET CREATIVE WITH WHAT ALREADY EXISTS

• Use traditional media. Get your organization to be a quoted resource in articles, contact journalists on Twitter and via email, and reach out to a local radio station to speak about your work.
• Work with organizations that are already active in your community to mobilize resources and fundraising.
• Find out what donors are talking about on social media. Respond with your perspective to keep your organization at the top of their mind and their feed!
• Use SMS and WhatsApp to collect information and capture stories, and amplify all of this to make a change in your community. You are the expert in sharing experiences from your community, so share often!