Bridging science and community in Kalangala
The Uganda Stakeholder Engagement team recently held engagement activities in the island communities of Kansambwe in Mukono District and Lwazi Jaana in Kalangala District, Uganda. The purpose was to share updates of activities that have been taking place in the communities, introduce the Malaise trap; a new tool for entomological collections, gain their approval for the use of the trap, and gather previously signed community consent forms for other traps like Bio-gents sentinel trap (BGS) and larval collections.
Over four days, the team conducted group meetings involving local council leaders, opinion leaders, village health teams (VHTs), religious and cultural figures, school representatives, and health workers using visual aids to support discussions and encourage interactive learning.
To ensure clear understanding, an assembled Malaise trap was used for demonstration.
The Malaise trap is a tent-like structure designed to capture flying insects. It relies on insect behavior by guiding them upwards toward a light source into a collection bottle. While commonly used to collect a variety of flying insects, it adds a valuable dimension to our understanding of mosquito populations in these unique island settings.
As the community actively engaged in discussions about the trap and its role in the research, they also raised important questions that helped ease their understanding. During the discussions we addressed their concerns and provided clear explanations that made the community feel more informed and involved in the research process.
The feedback collected will guide future engagement strategies, ensuring that the voices of the community continue to be at the heart of the research we do. This approach not only strengthens the relationship between the project and the community but also promotes the communities support and involvement in the project, ensuring its success and relevance to local needs.
The team also held school outreach sessions using Target Malaria comic books and quizzes to help young learners understand our work.
