All posts in category Communication

20 liters a day

For many people there is not a day that goes by without using water. We take a shower in the morning, make coffee during breakfast, clean our clothes in the washing machine and wash our hands after using the bathroom. Can you imagine a day without water? I sure can’t… In Uganda an average household uses 20 liters per person per day. What we don’t realize every time we open the tap is that water isn’t available in all parts of the country. The lack of clean water usage leads to a lot of hygiene related health problems.

A life changer

In Uganda millions of people have access to a mobile phone. For Ugandans mobile phones seem to be more than a device used to communicate, rather they are a way of life. One single text message can make a big difference. Why not use this knowledge to improve the hygiene and access to sanitation facilities?

In 2013 NETWAS Uganda partnered SMSONE to set up their first SMS campaign in Bombo through the DANIDA funded good governance project. Here water users are able to communicate with the service provider through a sms text. So the initiative has reached over a hundred people who are able to send an sms through the toll free numbers.

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by sekumapter on May 2, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Action research, Communication
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Posted by sekumapter on May 2, 2013

http://sekumapter.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/20-liters-a-day/

Communication as a tool to enforce behaviour change

It is widely accepted that one the major challenges of the 21st century is to provide safe drinking water and basic sanitation for all. And yet governments continue investing a lot into research and implementation in the WASH sector and at both district and sub county level. The big question then arises ‘Why ain’t we making any progress?’ A Water Aid report reveals that countries like Uganda has achieved only 34 per cent access to basic sanitation compared to the required 72 per cent by 2015. This means that more than half of the Ugandan population lack access to basic sanitation facilities.

In many of the African countries like Uganda there is still big challenge to harmonize culture and the new ideas that keep cropping up each and every day. You realize that each of these new ideas is aiming at ensuring better and sustainable improved ways of living. For example the idea of mobile phones for WASH seems always manipulating, according to some communities and yet it looks at promoting effective communication, CLTs is the other initiative which has worked in many communities to eradicate ODF and still yet  many feel it hasn’t been successful.  Everything comes down to communication. When we communicate we use a lot more than just the verbal message that we want to get across. Often we don’t pay attention to the way we present ourselves, just as important as the verbal message is the non-verbal communication. Behavioural change is always the most important goal of our communication. Therefore before coming up with any community initiative, one has to design behaviour change strategy which should include:

  • Research and proper planning
  • Knowing the needs of the population

Different target groups will require different approaches. Therefore, when making decisions about which target groups and which factors to address, it is necessary to consider:

  • which target groups are most vulnerable;
  • which risk / vulnerability factors are most important;
  • which factors may be related to the impact of conflict and displacement;
  • which target groups and risk / vulnerability factors the community wants to address;
  • what could be motivators for behavior change;
  • what could be barriers to behavior change;
  • what type of messages will be meaningful to each target group;
  • which communication media would best reach the target group;
  • which services/resources are accessible to the target group;
  • which target groups and risk / vulnerability factors are feasible in terms of  expertise, resources and time.
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by sekumapter on April 12, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in behavior change, Communication
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Posted by sekumapter on April 12, 2013

http://sekumapter.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/communication-as-a-tool-to-enforce-behaviour-change/

Communicating more effectively today

Being able to communicate effectively is essential in every career. As recruiters will tell you, it’s a skill coveted by employers. However, the ability to communicate well goes beyond being able to express yourself. It’s more than giving a compelling presentation or writing a solid report. It’s part of the talent for developing interpersonal relationships.

Communication plays a part whether you’re trying to generate sales, participate successfully on a team, or simply get along with your office-mates. It’s particularly important when it comes to cultivating relationships with significant people like your boss.  The repercussions of poor communication can range from continual team conflicts to poor performance reviews.

One of the reasons we run into problems is because we like to communicate differently.  As you may already know our communication style depends a lot on our personality preferences which is explored using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Not surprisingly there’s a big difference between Extroverts and Introverts. Generally, Introverts prefer to communicate via email so they have time to digest the information they’ve received and gather their thoughts before responding to others. On the other hand, Extroverts who often “think out loud” would rather pick up the phone.

Somewhat surprisingly, communication styles are not that different between generations according to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder. The company surveyed two groups of managers and workers – one group aged 25 to 34 the other group aged 55 and over.  The majority of respondents from both groups said they preferred face-to-face communication, while a relatively small percentage said they preferred the phone. Although ranking a distant second to in-person conversations, respondents ranked digital communication, email or text, the next-best option. Unfortunately, the survey did not distinguish between a preference for text as opposed to email.

Of course, when it comes to communication there are gender differences as well. Men tend to focus more on what’s being said. Women frequently pay attention to more subtle messages like body language which is something to think about when you’re sitting in all those meetings. Be sure to listen to what’s being said and how people are saying it.

The bottom line is that when it comes to communicating effectively you need to think about the other person’s preferred style. If your favorite client always emails questions you might want to email your response even if you’d rather pick up the phone. If your boss generally sends texts you may want to adopt that as well. On the other hand, if your boss leaves you a voice mail you may not want to reply with a text.

One of the keys to successful communication is to use the other person’s preferred style. What if you’re not sure? It’s simple. Just ask.

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by sekumapter on October 12, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Communication, Knowledge sharing and management

Posted by sekumapter on October 12, 2012

http://sekumapter.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/communicate-more-effectively-today/

Music & Worship

When Christians get together to worship there’s always music. There’s choruses, songs, musical interludes, free-worship – psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Eph 5:19). In fact, musical worship is so ubiquitous and feels so “right” that we need to keep reminding ourselves that worship is more than the congregational singing we do in a church service. So, what is it about music that makes it so right for worship? This is a fascinating question.

Music, like language, is one of the few universal human cultural activities. Its use transcends religion, economics, social organisation and ethnicity. It is found in the most primitive isolated jungle tribes and the most advanced, wealthiest and congested cities. It’s woven into the everyday fabric of life of every human culture throughout history. Music is popular, but also powerful. Our most important personal, communal or national events nearly always employ the power of music – weddings, parties, celebrations and funerals. It is used in entertainment, sport, war … and in worship

Why?

Music is Emotional: Music aesthetics studies and explores what makes music “work” and what makes for “good” music. It suggests that music is powerful because it is emotional. This doesn’t mean that music is about emotions, but that it expresses and engages the emotional life. Psychology and neuroscience would agree, with studies showing both creating and listening to music engage the emotional centres of the brain. And it is not that music evokes the emotions it expresses (after all, why would we like sad songs if all they did was make us sad) but that it evokes a heightened emotional state. And as emotional creatures, we like that.

Music is Physical: The rhythm of music resonates with the body in spontaneous foot-tapping, finger drumming, clapping and dancing. This reveals a subtle but important link. Music is an auditory experience that the mind seeks to echo and express physically. And it’s not just the rhythm. How many times have we found ourselves conducting an imaginary orchestra or playing the air guitar as we’re captivated by a melody. And, of course, the making of music – playing or singing – is a physical activity.

Music is Cultural: We probably all have those songs that when we hear them we are automatically “transported” to a particular time and place, complete with the feelings and circumstances of the moment. (For me, “Bohemian Rhapsody” always takes me back to a milk bar in northern NSW in 1976, leaning on a pinball machine, listening to it on the jukebox. I was 13, it was summer, it was late afternoon and I was wearing a yellow t-shirt). Music has this incredible ability to evoke and express times of great and vivid personal meaning. Music becomes enmeshed in an event or entwined around a cause, weaving together our thoughts, emotions and senses into a poignant, resonant and memorable moment. Our cultures are full of such music-charged commemorations. The “Last Post” played on a bugle on Anzac Day, for me, is one such moment. An evocative tune already, it gets wrapped up in stories of sacrifice, courage and loss, and notions of freedom and loyalty. The effect is almost mesmerising.

Music is Social: As powerful and as meaningful as all these things are to me individually, they are magnified when shared and experienced with others. Shared melodies, lyrics and rhythms have the power to unify a crowd around a deeply felt cultural moment. Think of the national anthem or football songs that fill a stadium. And when that happens, each one of us brings all of our individual experiences of music, merging them together into a captivating corporate experience.

Music and Worship: All this all gives us a clue to the connection between music and worship. As believers, we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And music uniquely has the power to engage the entirety of who I am in that moment of expressing my devotion to God. When I sing in worship I am engaged emotionally, physically and intellectually. It’s like “all of me” is caught up in this act of love. It’s music that makes this happen. And because I’m holistically and completely engaged, the words I sing are pregnant with meaning in that moment. I pour myself out in a song of worship, and feel that I’m finally able to get close to expressing all that is in my heart to say, but for which mere spoken words seem insufficient.

But more than that, it’s not just me who is having this experience. The person next to me is too. And our experiences are in unison. The same words, the same rhythm, the same melody. The same emotions, the same holistic engagement, the same rich cultural memory. We are here together, in one voice, around one cause, focussing all of who we are in an outpouring of deep devotion to the One who has saved us so thoroughly. Times of corporate worship are one of those moments when “we” can truly become “one.”

And it’s music that makes that happen. Ref; http://www.hillsongcollected.com

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by sekumapter on October 26, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Communication
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Posted by sekumapter on October 26, 2011

http://sekumapter.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/music-worship/

Communication And The Church

Recently i happened to have a dialogue with a couple of friends and we were sharing about how we can improve communication among ministry members. We realized that there was more to communication than just a phrase. Communication has to grow starting from everyone talking to one another.

Communication’ or ‘marketing’ is so much deeper than a strategically placed logo, some quirky artwork or a catchy phrase. It is the tool into which we can breathe life, stir a thought, bring inspiration and make something that is otherwise difficult to understand, clear and relevant. Now take that idea and add it to the church—both internally with how we communicate our message to followers of Christ and externally with how we communicate the gospel to our community. What an amazing responsibility!

I believe that our art, our brochures, our online media, our print media and all of our ‘communications’ should be bringing God the glory he deserves. When we strive for excellence in everything we do, then we not only honor God with our output, but our input.

1. Communicating Jesus’ bride is an honor; it is a privilege we should never take for granted. We have a great responsibility to communicate truth. Don’t shy away from having God factors! (Spiritual I know!) Jesus is attractive, the Bible is the living, breathing word of God and it speaks truth, turns on lights in dark places and gives hope in the most hopeless situations. So why wouldn’t you use Scriptures that speak to the soul?
As Christians, the Bible is our greatest source of inspiration. Let’s remember, we are not communicating the message or mission statement of any old corporation or community center — we are communicating the Church.

2. It’s all for him! (Enough said.)

3. Don’t just check a box. Think outside of it. It’s really easy under pressure to just ‘get the job done.’ But I dare you, challenge you and urge you to be different. Step outside of the box! The church is alive, it is moving forward and the kingdom of God is advancing like we’ve never seen. Don’t let communication be stale and stagnate by doing the same thing over and over and using common and predictable ideas. You have a
responsibility to make the church shine! Make it loving, fresh, attractive, warm and welcoming. Paint the right picture!

4. Lastly, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…” -Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV)
Whether you are involved in the day-to-day outworking of communication in your church, the creative input or the administration of the department, God says this is a form of worship. Bring your absolute best to the team. If you want good design: read, learn, surround yourself with good design! If you’re not passionate or inspired, ask God to give you a passion! Open your hands and have a soft heart and a listening ear; become a tool where God can use you and I promise that the more that you understand the creator, the more and more God will enlarge your thinking, take you to the next level and breathe fresh, innovative creativity in and through you.

Reference:

http://hillsongcollected.com/one-for-another

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by sekumapter on October 5, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Communication
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Posted by sekumapter on October 5, 2011

http://sekumapter.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/communication-and-the-church/

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