The last Bondres Show in Jembrana Regency as an entertainment medium to raise awareness about the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19
Continuation of efforts to raise awareness about the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 to the broader community continues to be carried out. In the context of the Bali region, Bondres became a quite effective socialization medium to attract people’s interest in various villages. The form of the show is the implementation of risk communication and community engagement (Risk Communication and Community Engagement/RCCE).
Since February 2023, there have been 10 Bondres shows that have been held—three times in Buleleng Regency, four times in Karangasem Regency, and three times in Jembrana Regency. There are at least five critical messages conveyed in each show. Starting from the benefits of vaccination, the importance of booster vaccines (3rd and 4th advanced doses), hoax prevention, handling of post-immunization adverse events, and inclusive vaccination that is safe for all groups of people.
The stage was still empty when the sounds of Balinese songs were played at 19.00 WITA. This time the Bondres was held at the Awen Soccer Field, Lelateng. The show starts an hour later. The local people arrived, and two masked men began taking the stage, singing to open the show.
They are STI BALI Bondres who came from Denpasar. Many jokes and implied messages typical of Bondres made the audience happy that night. Two other Bondres personnel got on stage. They did not forget to convey key educational messages and talk about the trend of COVID-19 and efforts to contain the virus that various groups, including older people and persons with disabilities, can do.
Key educational messages of COVID-19 conveyed by Bondres performers
In collaboration with Jembrana youth who are members of the Agents of Change (AOC) and STT Cita Dharma, the performance of Bondres entitled “Mai Ngimun Jah!” is going smoothly. The Bondres performance this time is the last, as well as the closing of the entire Bondres event for vaccination in the Province of Bali. At least 900 people came to enjoy the event.
“The activity this time is extraordinary. So, we express our deepest gratitude for holding the vaccination socialization, which simultaneously entertains our community, especially in the Awen area. There used to be bad information circulating because of the effects of vaccines, but that didn’t last long. Public awareness is slowly increasing. Thankfully there has never been a refusal of vaccinations in this area. Thank you to the IDEP Foundation and Save the Children, who have been very involved in this vaccination and outreach. Hopefully, in the future, the intensity of socialization will be more intense,” said Gede Wariyana Prabawa as Lelateng Village Head.
Hoax news is a significant concern in running RCCE through the Bondres show. The COVID-19 vaccine field team found community reluctance to get vaccinated in Jembrana Regency during door-to-door vaccine assessments and activities. Meanwhile, the health sector sees that vaccines are essential to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Head of the regional technical implementation unit Negara 2 Health Center, explained in more detail.
“So I am happy with the activities organized by the IDEP Foundation to socialize the community so they are aware of the existence of COVID-19 until the 4th dose (second booster). The public also needs to know good information, don’t be consumed by hoax news that makes them reluctant to vaccinate. So don’t believe in fake news. The community also needs to maintain and implement health protocols, “said dr. Ni Made Anggraeni.
The Bondres Show audiences at Awen Soccer Field
The Bondres show is also part of all COVID-19 vaccination activities in Bali. This activity is a form of support from the Australia Indonesia Partnership for Health Resilience (AIHSP) through Save the Children Indonesia (SCI) and the IDEP Selaras Alam Foundation (IDEP) for the Provincial Government of Bali, which generally works with the Health Service from each region to provide inclusive vaccinations for all people.
We initially implemented the Inclusive COVID-19 Vaccine program in three regencies in Bali, namely Buleleng, Jembrana, and Karangasem. However, since December 2022, this program has been implemented in various areas of the Province of Bali.
Article & Photo: Nicolaus Sulistyo © IDEP Foundation
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