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Renowned Somali comedian, Abdiqani Iskufilan, is a key part of UNDP’s campaign against the spread of coronavirus in Somalia.
Over the last few weeks, Iskufilan and his team of comedians have produced a series of skits on how people can protect themselves from the disease. The series of comedy videos features slapstick jokes and sharp dialogue to encourage people to follow health guidelines, including washing hands and social distancing. They also dispel harmful myths, such as that sunlight will keep you safe.
"People's minds can be engaged through fun and entertainment, so comedy is an effective way to raise awareness," explains Iskufilan.
The first skits show Iskufilan warding people off with a long stick to enforce social distancing and berating people for not washing their hands before they try to enter his hotel. New episodes under production will tackle mask wearing with a talking camel and deal with the issue of nuisance calls to the government’s 449 COVID information hotline (also supported by UNDP).
“Since Somalis love camels, we are using them to grab their attention,” explains Iskufilan. “We also hope this will help us reach nomads and pastoralists so they too can take care when facing the risk of the coronavirus.”