Community Outreach Intervention – an interface between Department of Extension and Communication and University of Fort Hare, South Africa.
Under the MOU, signed between the Department of Extension and Communication, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and University of Fort Hare, South Africa, Dr. Mlisa, a Professor from University of Fort Hare is visiting the Department for an exchange of ideas and practices of community outreach intervention.
Department of Extension and Communication is engaged in Community Outreach Programmes since its inception in 1953, working actively at three levels, Awareness, Training and Performance, under various need based issues like water management, HIV/AIDS, vermicomposting, sanitation and hygiene etc.
Dr. Mlisa, gave a brief overview about the University of Fort Hare’s community outreach activities which majorly included activities related to HIV/AIDS. She gave a comparative analysis of the social issues faced in Africa, which were more or less similar to the issues in India, which included major issues like Water Management, HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Dr. Mlisa’s main aim of the visit is to identify how the Department of Extension and Communication executes its outreach activities to meet the needs of the Community people.
The main attractions of the interface were the Action Research and the Action Projects Carried out by the Department of Extension and Communication which meets the Challenges of the Contemporary society.
Action projects on Sanitation, Health and Hygeine, Nutritional Support Awareness through Whatsapp Application, HIV/AIDS, Institutional Delivery, Income Generation Programmes etc were shared by the Department of Extension and Communication.
Dr. Lisa shared successful outreach programme related to HIV/AIDS named First things First which creates awareness amongst the youth of Africa to identify the health issues and cater to them on a priority basis.
Dr. Lisa will be a part of the Department of Extension and Communication for the entire week visiting NGO’s and institutions that work for community development.
