“Young and old in all corners of the world should have access to the COVID-19 vaccine,” says Guruvamma, a member of the Chenchu tribal community, who lives in the Nallamala Forest located between the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In the long race to guarantee mass vaccination in the world’s second most populous country in the world, it is essential to ensure that all citizens from the most remote areas to the most crowded metropolis, are informed and protected.

Indigenous and tribal people constitute a population of more than 476 million living in 90 different countries. In India, they represent 8.6% of the population – more than 104 million people- making India the country with the largest number of tribal communities. With the arrival of the pandemic, all of India has faced socioeconomic problems associated with the health emergency. However, “Indigenous and tribal people are at greater risk, becoming more vulnerable due to lack of access to health services,” says B. Pushpamma, who works as the Regional Director in Rural Development Trust (RDT), VFF USA’s implementing partner. RDT has been working with the Chenchu Community for 11 years in partnership with the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) and the state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

“When the first wave of COVID-19 arrived, I was afraid because we live very far from any medical center, but at the same time I felt safe in our village because it is deep in the Nallamala Forest, more than 60 km away from the nearest town,” says Guruvaiah. For centuries, the Chenchu community has lived in the depths of the forest, collecting fruit, roots, and honey from the wild. However, though they inhabit a protected area with restricted access – the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve – they still need to visit the surrounding villages to sell what they harvest and purchase basic supplies. This exposes them to the virus: a risk that can be aggravated by the lack of medical facilities in their villages and the long distances they must travel to seek treatment.

“If there is an emergency, they call us, and we send one of RDT’s ambulances, but the earliest it can get there is in 45 minutes,” B. Pushpamma explains. However, slow response times for medical services is not their biggest challenge: simply making the call is difficult, too. “I was afraid of getting infected because, in the villages, there is no connection. There is only coverage in some specific areas of the forest. If there is an emergency, we have to walk several kilometers to notify RDT,” confesses Guruvaiah.

Access to medical services is essential, but so is access to information about the virus and how to prevent it from spreading. With the arrival of the new coronavirus, uncertainty and confusion became a reality for many. “Before attending awareness sessions, I only knew that there was a virus that could kill people. Then I understood how it can affect me and how I can prevent getting infected,” says Guruvamma.

The awareness sessions began in March 2020 and continue to this day, but they have been adapted to the needs of the moment. “During the first wave, we focused exclusively on explaining what COVID-19 is, how it can affect our body, what are the preventive measures that must be taken, and the importance of testing,” B. Pushpamma explains.

Now, after a devastating second wave, the government and civil society are working together on a massive inoculation campaign and prevent another terrible outbreak. “We visit each town and village offer information about the different vaccines and their benefits on a social and individual level,” B. Pushpamma explains.

India launched the world’s largest vaccination program for COVID-19 on January 16th, 2021 to vaccinate its 900 million eligible citizens. Along with this challenge, India has also had to combat the spread of misinformation and rumors. “I didn’t want to get vaccinated. People in nearby towns said that we could die from the vaccine,” Guruvaiah confesses. “I was scared. I didn’t know what could happen to me. I had heard that if I got vaccinated, I would get COVID-19, and I would not be able to go to the forest to work.”

The RDT health workers who visit monthly to do medical follow-ups for the residents of Nallamala Forest are the same women who have travelled each village to raise awareness about the vaccination campaign through cultural programs. Pale Soludu, street theatre, songs and dances have raised awareness in the Chenchu community.

“In one of the performance, the health worker got vaccinated in front of everyone. That’s when I understood that if it was good for her, it was good for us. She always takes care of our health, and this time it is not going to be different,” says Guruvamma. Information accessible through art has helped Guruvamma and many others make a decision.

“In addition to explaining what the vaccine is, RDT makes it easier for us to have access to it,” expresses Nagamma. The government has set up vaccination centers throughout the country but it is difficult for members of the Chenchu ​​community to reach them. “We organize transportation to go and come back, or we accompany a medical team to the villages to identify the eligible people and get them vaccinated in our ambulances,” explains B Pushpamma.

Access to health infrastructures, information, and vaccines becomes essential during a global pandemic. “Vaccination against COVID-19 is very beneficial for us because we live very far from any hospital. If our entire community is vaccinated, we will be protected,” says Nagamma, who has already convinced 41 of her neighbors to get vaccinated.