ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts an analysis of the local initiatives formulated by communities to contain the pandemic. It examines a socio-historical study that employes both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The study is based on the premise that people can be motivated to practise healthy behavior through information, education, and communication (IEC). The study was carried out in Thika district, which is located 40 kilometres northeast of Nairobi, Kenya's capital. For qualitative data, the study used participatory approaches where information was gleaned from local people in their own settings. Data was collected through key informants' interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), informal discussions, observations and case studies, which form some of the extracts presented in the chapter. The use of these ethnographic techniques, such as unstructured observations and informal pontaneous discussions with various categories of informants proved quite worthwhile given the nature of the topic of study.
