Artists Combatting COVID-19 in Farmworker Communities—Part 3, Líderes Campesinas

This post is the third in a series highlighting artists who are working with FJ to create COVID-19 informational materials under the PODER en SALUD project, funded by PROCEED, Inc. – NCTSTA. Click here to read the first post in the series and here to read the second.

Líderes Campesinas is a farmworker women’s organization in California and a partner in the production of educational materials for the PODER en SALUD project. Seven members of the group, farmworkers themselves, were trained as actors; they participated in a previous Farmworker Justice video on sexual harassment in the workplace (watch the video here). Now, they will be featured in public service announcements about COVID-19 prevention, some as voice actors in a radionovela, others on-screen in video PSAs.

Líderes Campesinas also consulted on content development and translation of the COVID-19 educational materials. They facilitated focus groups to ensure that the topics of the PSAs are appropriate and comprehensible; that the materials take into account the difficulties farmworkers face in preventing COVID (such as crowded housing and the inability to take time off work); and that the language used in the scripts reflects the way farmworker speak. Before the video and radio PSAs are finalized, they will also pilot the resources with some of their members.

Líderes Campesinas’ participation will make the PSAs more accessible to farmworker communities. Speaking in their native Mixteco, as well as Spanish, the actors will reach indigenous farm workers. Conveying COVID-19 information orally, they will ensure that people of all literacy levels understand the prevention messaging. And perhaps most importantly, the presence of farmworker actors means that the farmworker audience receives information from their peers—people who understand their day-to-day experience — making the materials more relatable.

Farmworker Justice is grateful to Líderes Campesinas for their work. With their support, we hope to empower farmworker communities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 

The “Poder en Salud” project is 100% supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under CDC/HHS Funding Opportunity OT18-1802, entitled “Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation’s Health” via a Cooperative Agreement with PROCEED, Inc. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.