For many radio listeners this is the first time they've been able to speak directly to the authorities about their concerns.
A two year project, MAKE: Media for Advocacy and Empowerment, was launched in June 2011. It was delivered in partnership with the Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD) and worked across four provinces.
±«Óătv Media Action provided journalism training and ongoing mentoring to four radio stations so they could fulfill their role reporting local events, and creating spaces for dialogue between ordinary people and local authorities.
Working closely with local civil society actors through ZCSD, community radio stations produced interactive radio shows with phone-in segments that explored local governance issues.
These programmes were a key platform for individuals to interact with local authority figures such as councillors, local chiefs and heads of hospitals.
Responding to local needs
For many radio listeners this was the first time they had been able to speak directly to the authorities about their concerns. Listeners highlighted service delivery gaps and prompted officials to respond to their needs.
For example, at Oblate Radio Liseli one listener asked her council why sewage was running through her garden and along the street where her children play.
Meanwhile reporters from Radio Chikuni discovered that farmers were spending night after night in the cold waiting for their maize to be weighed for sale to the government.
Another listener asked his councillor how he was supposed to explain to his son that he couldn’t go to school this term because Daddy wouldn’t have the money as he hadn’t been paid on time.
Programmes were broadcast both in local languages and Zambia’s official language, English, to enable the greatest possible reach and participation.
Harnessing local talent
±«Óătv Media Action’s international trainer, Louise Adamou, worked closely with the four stations and their staff to achieve the project’s aims.
“The first hour of training is always excruciating - blank faces, silence and very little interaction. It’s all about holding your nerve though because once the barriers are down, it’s amazing what this talented bunch can achieve in a few short weeks”, she said.
“Each station we work with has its own characters. At Radio Maranatha there are the Aunties, Agnes and Addesy. These two inspiring women offer a guiding hand to their younger colleagues."
“Then there’s Oblate Radio Liseli. Meet Mululu. He has a cracking contacts book and impressive local knowledge. He doesn’t just work with the local community, he is very much a part of it.
“With one phone call Mululu arranged a very difficult case study. With a little training and a lot of passion Mululu conducted the interview himself in the local language, exposing the daily struggle of what it means to be HIV positive and not have access to the drugs you are entitled to.”
Project information
Project name | NSA MAKE (Media for advocacy and empowerment) |
Funder | The UK Government's Department for International Development |
Dates | , |
Themes | Governance |
Partners | Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD) |
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