Soot Semee – Northern Uganda

Misinformation fuels conflict but community engagement fosters trust. Soot Semee is a community-centred media pilot designed by South Sudanese refugees living in resettlement areas in northern Uganda.

The project engages community members in making content and in assessing and tracking rumours. It invites service providers based in these communities to provide information that the community needs.

Amplifying Voices provided basic studio equipment to create weekly audio programmes, facilitated a community consultation and media training workshop, and is providing ongoing project accompaniment.

What: Soot Semee, Juba Arabic for ‘Voice of Compassion’ is a pilot project in Rhino Camp, Omogo extension zone. The pilot is being implemented by our South Sudanese partner Community Development Centre (CDC):

• Weekly audio programmes designed and produced by South Sudanese refugees living in Omugo and in Arua.

• MP3 Speakers and weekly SD card distribution to those most at risk from lack of information, misinformation, or social exclusion.

• Informal content distribution via bluetooth and mobile to mobile transfer.

• Project designed by community stakeholders during community consultation workshop in Omugo zone in October 2019.

• Will support rumour tracking in via the Hagiga Wahid misinformation management platform (in partnership with CDC and the Sentinel Project).

• Promotes and enables dialogue between host communities and refugees.

• Also provides possibilities for accessing radio content produced for refugees by other local partners.

Expected Outcomes: Conflict flare-ups are prevented due to open and informed discussion of rumours, and due to greater trust and understanding between host and refugee communities.

Newly arrived refugees are able to access services faster and to feel more at peace in their new surroundings.

Vulnerable groups within communities build confidence through accessing relevant information in response to voicing concerns

Health workers and other development experts are more effective because they are welcomed as guests of community rather than seen as imposed opinions.

Our Role: Facilitation, project design, equipment provision, consultancy, training of community members.