成人论坛

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.

成人论坛 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鈥檛 go to school this term because Daddy wouldn鈥檛 have the money as he hadn鈥檛 been paid on time.

Programmes were broadcast both in local languages and Zambia鈥檚 official language, English, to enable the greatest possible reach and participation.

Harnessing local talent

成人论坛 Media Action鈥檚 international trainer, Louise Adamou, worked closely with the four stations and their staff to achieve the project鈥檚 aims.

鈥淭he first hour of training is always excruciating - blank faces, silence and very little interaction. It鈥檚 all about holding your nerve though because once the barriers are down, it鈥檚 amazing what this talented bunch can achieve in a few short weeks鈥�, she said.

鈥淓ach 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."

鈥淭hen there鈥檚 Oblate Radio Liseli. Meet Mululu. He has a cracking contacts book and impressive local knowledge. He doesn鈥檛 just work with the local community, he is very much a part of it.

鈥淲ith 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.鈥�

Project information