October 2025 — In Ethiopia, where access to health education is often limited, UNICEF’s Community Conversation Model, using the low-cost, portable PICO Projector, is revolutionizing how communities engage with vital health topics. By delivering interactive, visual content in local languages, the PICO Projector bridges information gaps in areas where traditional written materials may be inaccessible.

The project focuses on critical health topics such as immunization, exclusive breastfeeding, sanitation, child protection, and malaria prevention. These culturally relevant videos help overcome literacy barriers and ensure health messages resonate deeply within the community, fostering Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) by encouraging active participation in health discussions.

A Catalyst for Community Dialogue

The strength of the PICO Projector lies in its ability to ignite meaningful conversations. After showing the videos, facilitators guide discussions where community members reflect on the content, share experiences, and find local solutions to health challenges. This two-way communication enhances engagement, as community members ask questions, voice concerns, and consider ways to apply new knowledge to daily life.

Sr. Letebrhan Meresa, a Health Extension Worker from Tigray, shared, "The PICO projector has made facilitation easier. It motivates participants, decreases absenteeism, and sparks lively, user-friendly discussions."

Addressing Local Health Needs

The PICO Projector has been particularly impactful in internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps and vulnerable communities. By addressing health priorities aligned with Ethiopia’s goals, such as improving sanitation, reducing child marriage, and combating female genital mutilation (FGM), the model has driven real-world change. For example, the projector helped dispel misconceptions about malaria, encouraging the use of mosquito nets for prevention, and boosted immunization rates, leading more parents to seek vaccinations for their children.

Empowering Communities through Participation

Central to the PICO Projector model is community empowerment. The initiative actively engages participants, inviting them to take part in the whole learning process. By encouraging reflection and participation, the PICO Projector helps communities feel a sense of ownership over their health and well-being. This involvement is crucial for fostering sustainable behaviour change and building trust between communities and health service providers.

Selam G/Meskel, a participant from Adwa IDP camp, explained, “The PICO sessions taught me the importance of hygiene. Now, I lead by example, encouraging others to maintain cleanliness and improve our living conditions.”

Overcoming Challenges and Ensuring Sustainability

While the PICO Projector initiative has achieved significant success, it has not been without challenges. Logistical constraints, language barriers, and contextual issues like drought and insecurity in certain regions have posed difficulties. However, the project has adapted and found creative solutions to overcome these obstacles. By collaborating with local governments, the project has been able to produce videos in multiple regional languages, ensuring that the content is accessible to diverse communities. Facilitators have also received remote technical support through platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, helping them troubleshoot issues in real-time.

Venue availability has also been a challenge in some areas, where appropriate spaces for holding the projector-based sessions were limited. To overcome this, facilitators have used schools, community halls, and health centers to host the conversations, ensuring that community members have access to these valuable learning opportunities.

Scaling Up for a Healthier Ethiopia

With over 146,000 people engaged, UNICEF is expanding the reach of the PICO Projector initiative, prioritizing vulnerable groups such as IDPs and remote communities. The next phase will focus on increasing the frequency of sessions, improving video content, and strengthening monitoring to better assess behaviour change and health outcomes.

The PICO Projector is more than a tool for health education—it’s a driver of lasting, community-led change. By scaling this model, UNICEF is empowering communities across Ethiopia, transforming how they engage with health education and improving health behaviours nationwide.