Marigat Maarifa Centre Holds a Roadshow

Marigat Maarifa Centre organized for a roadshow on 16Th July 2010. This was aimed at publicizing maarifa centre activities and services to the community. Prior to the road show the Focal Group members had discussed and agreed on the need for the event which will foresee the enrolment of more members to the centre and also advancing the knowledge on the activities offered by the centre. This was done through distribution of IEC materials to the members of the public to enhance their knowledge on Maarifa Centre activities. Situation It was also imperative for the Marigat Focal Group members to look into a convenient location where all the members of community can be reached for dissemination purposes. The team chose the market place as the final stop point suitable for the road show ,though the team experienced some logistical problems i.e. faulty machines; it managed to carry out a successful campaign that saw 100 people (56 Male and 44 Female ) registering as members in the centre and also others coming to seek information on different aspects including information on agriculture, livestock through the books and the internet. Tips on how to organize for a successful Road Show Set the Objectives and target e.g. recruitment, how many male and female to be reached, publicity etc Consult the Focal Group members and advisory committee: They will always assist you to organize for this event, also in resource mobilization. Draft a simple budget and stick to it: This will guide you to avoid overspending. Mapping: The area of coverage should also be considered and will be dictated by the cost allocated for transport. Consider a day when you can reach most of the community ie Market day What is needed? IEC materials for the maarifa centre e.g. brochures, banners, T-shirts Public Address i.e. Microphone, Loud speaker, music player A pick-up or lorry A community mobilizer: A person who can communicate in both local language and Kiswahili. Cooperation by the focal group and advisory committee. Maarifa Center banner Lunch for organizers of the event Assessing Impact When new maarifa center users come to the centre remember to ask them how they came to know about the centre and record .This will enable you access the impact. draft