Pre-recordings of COVID-19 guidelines in Indigenous languages can help raise awareness in affected communities – APA

Aug 10, 2020 News

Executive Director of the APA, Jean La Rose

In observance of International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, the Amerindian’s People’s Association (APA) yesterday held discussions about the affairs of the Indigenous communities in Guyana via a live broadcast on Facebook. One of the issues discussed, pertained to the language barrier that is hampering COVID-19 awareness.
Following the live stream, Kaieteur News contacted the Executive Director of the APA, Jean La Rose, to expound on the solutions that could be implemented to address the issue of the language barrier. In this regard, La Rose advised that pre-recordings about COVID-19 guidelines and regulations should be made in the respective Indigenous languages and circulated within the communities. She said that efforts can be made to broadcast the recordings on all radio stations as well as distributing posters in the Indigenous languages.
In addressing participants of the APA’s live stream, La Rose encouraged them to adhere to all regulations and guidelines published by the authorities and stressed the need for collaboration between villagers, their councillors, and Toshaos. She also called for villagers to listen to medical personnel as their jobs are already difficult hard and asked for them to volunteer in whatever way they can.
This newspaper had previously reported that due to the language barrier and lack of technology within Indigenous communities, controlling the spread of the virus posed quite a challenge to the authorities there. Kaieteur highlighted that many of those Indigenous communities that are hotspots speak Wapichan or other Indigenous languages and therefore cannot understand the guidelines and regulations being broadcast or published.