Strengthening Communities Through Evidence, Partnership, and Inclusive Health Communication
The SMART Project, implemented by Creative Actors Initiative for Development (CRAID), is designed to improve access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information while addressing stigma, misinformation, and communication barriers in communities across Oyo State, Nigeria.
The project works with government institutions, healthcare professionals, community leaders, women’s associations, and local stakeholders to create community-driven solutions that promote informed health decisions and strengthen public confidence in reproductive health services. By combining evidence generation, stakeholder engagement, and culturally appropriate communication, the SMART Project ensures that interventions respond to the realities and needs of the people they are intended to serve.
Building a Strong Foundation for Community Impact
A key priority during the project’s first phase was establishing the partnerships and evidence required for effective implementation.
CRAID engaged the Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Medical Officers of Health, Health Educators, and leaders of professional women’s associations to secure institutional support and strengthen coordination across eight Local Government Areas. These engagements created the enabling environment needed for successful project implementation while reinforcing collaboration between government and community structures.
To ensure project messages are accessible and culturally relevant, educational media content was translated from English into Yoruba, making it easier for communities to engage with accurate sexual and reproductive health information in their preferred language.
The project also conducted a comprehensive Participatory Community Assessment (PCA) across eight communities, reaching 320 participants, including women, men, girls, and boys. Using participatory tools such as community mapping, daily activity analysis, and problem-tree exercises, the assessment generated valuable baseline data on community perceptions, existing knowledge gaps, cultural influences, and barriers to accessing reliable reproductive health information.
These findings now provide the evidence base that guides every stage of project implementation, ensuring interventions are informed by community realities rather than assumptions.
Driving Sustainable Change
The SMART Project is moving beyond awareness to build sustainable systems that strengthen community health and improve access to reliable information.
Insights gathered during the assessment are informing a series of targeted interventions, including community dialogues, Yoruba-language media campaigns, mobile community screenings, stakeholder capacity building, and strengthened referral pathways. These activities are designed to increase public understanding of sexual and reproductive health, reduce stigma, and encourage timely access to quality healthcare services.
By placing communities at the center of programme design and implementation, the SMART Project is creating stronger partnerships, improving trust between communities and health systems, and laying the foundation for lasting improvements in health outcomes across Oyo State.
Through collaboration, evidence, and locally driven solutions, CRAID remains committed to empowering communities with the knowledge, support, and partnerships needed to make informed decisions and build healthier futures.