In June 2021, GRIT Lab was partnering with Energy in Action on our second Youth Public Health Ambassador training workshop when the government of Uganda announced its second national COVID-19 lockdown. Prior to sending the Ambassadors home, we (in compliance with all COVID-19 safety measures) facilitated focus group discussions with the Ambassadors about their perspective on the government’s response to COVID-19 and the impacts they saw from lockdowns in their communities.
The focus group scripts were compiled, transcribed and analyzed using Nvivo software to code for thematic insights. Recurring themes focused social, financial, reproductive, and educational impacts from school and business closures. The results were presented at multiple international conferences and a draft paper is being prepared for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.