Grandpa Knows Best; A Story of Polio

This video, available in Dari and Pashto (above), was created for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Afghanistan and funded by Rotary International End Polio Now to educate low-literacy communities on polio prevention. It is one of a series of "Speaking Books" (see Related Summaries, below) that actually talk to the reader in his or her native language and so are designed to be seen, read, heard, and understood, regardless of reading ability.

In the story, respected elder Grandpa Hamid tells his grandchildren Zahra and Wazir that polio can be stopped by giving children the polio vaccine, by keeping the environment clean and the home clean, and by always washing their hands after using the toilet and before eating. He repeats the slogan he saw in an ad: "Two drops of polio vaccine, every child, every time." Then, the three walk together to the centre of the village to tell their neighbours that trained health workers regularly go house to house to vaccinate all children under five. Hamid explains that children should be vaccinated each time such teams visit because each drop doses means more protection for children. Following the speech, the villagers decide to clean the roads and streets and to make sure all their children get vaccinated.

UNICEF Afghanistan provided health workers and Rotary volunteers with 7,000 copies of the book, which features 16 pages of text, illustrations, and a soundtrack recorded in Dari and Pashto. The goal is to reach vulnerable populations with critical life-saving messages and help them spread the message of #EndPolio.