Radio for development
"The recently launched radio programme has opened my eyes to the paralyzing effects of harmful traditional practices, beliefs and cultures. Had I had this information earlier, I wouldn have married my daughter off at the age of 12. I exposed her to all the ill effects of early marriage and to the sufferings I personally experienced as a child bride and a teen age mother,"
This was what W/ro Tagegn Manasbo, a member of the women radio listeners' group in Janamora Woreda of North Gondar Zone told this reporter. Tagegn is also the Chairperson of the Edget Behibret Women Self Help Association, which AAE assists financially and technically.
She said," My other four children are now going to school. All members of the listeners groups now send their children to school. We have decided not to give our daughters in marriage before the age of 18.
According to Tagegn, the locals are now aware of the impoverishing effects of big feasts like "tezkar", wedding and other social occasions. We used to spend our earnings of the whole harvest year on such events mainly because it was encouraged by our tradition.
Tagegn added that the radio programme also teaches attendants about birth spacing and the advantages of having smaller family size. The radio informs them on how to engage in off-farm activities. "Look our plots are too small to feed our families and our situation is growing worse as the fields are infested by pests all the time. "The radio programme encouraged us to undertake petty trade which helped us overcome poverty. We are 15 in the Edget Behibret Self Help Association. AAE provided us with seed money of Birr 17,500. We have already opened a shop and we benefit from sale of necessities like salt and sugar," she said.
The interviewee emphasized the importance of regularly discussing the message of the radio programmes. The practice has given them the opportunity to discuss and find solutions to problems facing them as community and family members or even as individuals.
AAE Janamora staff members observed that this practice has provided the opportunity to introduce development issues thereby giving the community insight into how to fight the chronic poverty situation affecting the area.
Mogos Girma, Programme Officer with AAE Janamora CCDP, and the master mind behind the idea of introducing community radio programmes against poverty, said that his office chose thematic issues like good governance, womens rights, harmful traditional practices and policy issues as subjects of discussion.
The CCDP in collaboration with the Gondar Radio Station facilitated small group discussions among target groups. The discussions led to identification of the most appropriate kind of transmission and incorporation of the views of the target groups, Mogos said. He also pointed out that the comments and views of community members are aired in between the transmission of the programme.
There are now 31 radio listeners groups, each with a membership of 20 to 25. There are ten womens groups, ten mens groups, five youth groups and six others for youth clubs. Membership of the women listeners groups has increased to 80. According to Mogos, the office is planning to use microphones for the listening session. "Then listeners will break into smaller groups for their discussion sessions," he said.
ActionAid has distributed 31 radio sets one to each listener's group and five tapes which are used to record sessions for further discussion. Mogos said that each group has a facilitator elected by respective members.
The office also uses video cassettes for mobile shows of best practices from other ActionAid intervention areas. Some of the radio sessions are recorded and repeated especially when groups miss the programme due to some other social engagements.
Mogos said that the office plans to expand the radio programme to include additional pertinent information linking the woreda community to those in neighbouring woredas. It will also avail information on prices of grains and the labour market. The programme, which is now covering five kebeles of the woreda, will also be scaled up to cover five other kebeles.
