Three Odisha kids turn social media stars with Covid message, vaccination appeal

BHUBANESWAR: Three minor children from Jajpur district have taken the social media platforms by storm with their video clippings on ways to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and the stigma associated with the virus.
The video clips featuring Omm Prakash Sahoo (7), Gyana Ranjan Sahoo (6) and Rasmi Ranjan Tarei (6) from Radhanagar village of the district not just elucidate the severity of the deadly virus but have also taken up the cudgels to sensitize their fellow villagers about the safety protocols, promote the ongoing vaccination drive and end the stigma in a playful manner.
One Debabrat Sahoo (23) from the same village had uploaded the video clips. He said, “People love children and their innocent acts. As the Covid situation is worrisome in rural areas, I decided to protect our village by making short videos, featuring the kids."
Sahoo, who is pursuing Master of Arts in political science from Utkal University here, said he first sensitized the three children about the deadly virus and penned the awareness messages which the trio played them out in the videos shot on his mobile phone.
In one video, the children were seen enacting the role of Covid patients and the problems they faced. Another video portrayed the grim reality of infected villagers, who were socially boycotted by their neighbours.
"I once found that some Covid-infected families were not allowed to use the village pond, tubewell and shops. I shot a video in which the three children spread a message to hate the Covid disease and not the infected patients. I have circulated the videos on WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook," Sahoo said.
In another video, the children are seen urging the villagers to get vaccinated. "We saw that many of our villagers are not complying with the Covid safety norms and are reluctant to take the vaccine. After seeing our video, several residents have started taking their first dose. We feel happy that our small contribution is educating the people to some extent," Omm, a Class II student, said.
Parents of the children and residents of the locality appreciated the effort and said it is a novel idea to involve children in sensitizing the villagers. "If children can realize the severity of the virus, why cannot we adults take safety precautions and get the jabs for our safety?" Mayadhar Pradhan, a retired teacher from Jajpur, said.