In July 2019, I volunteered with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Lagos as part of Nigeria’s national polio immunization campaign, a public health effort that reached over 51 million children across Africa through coordinated vaccination drives, awareness activities, and data collection initiatives. As a Community Outreach & Communications Volunteer, I worked on the ground to raise awareness about polio prevention and the importance of vaccination.
My role involved registering personal data for outbreak response, speaking directly with families about the benefits of immunization, and ensuring that every child in our assigned area received the vaccine. Over the course of the campaign, I engaged over 100 residents, answering questions, addressing concerns, and supporting vaccine administrators in delivering doses safely and efficiently. I also helped gather accurate household data, a critical component in tracking immunization coverage and identifying communities at risk of being missed.
Through this experience, I developed a deeper understanding of how strategic communication an d grassroots marketing drive large-scale behaviour change. By combining local trust-building with clear, consistent messaging, our team contributed to WHO’s broader mission of eradicating polio and protecting children across Nigeria and beyond.This campaign reinforced my belief that impactful communication is not only about information, but about connection, empathy, and measurable outcomes principles that continue to shape how I approach every marketing and outreach project today.
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