International Development Division : IDD
July 2004
Community Radio in Zambia
Mitigating the Impact of HIV/AIDS Health, productivity and education impacts
It is anticipated that development ideas and methods can be emulated and adapted in other listening communities. The program helps spur a dynamic exchange of dialogue and ideas in the region. Such interactive, grassroots dialogue also helps target governmental and NGO resources where they are needed most.
The process is working. A representative from the provincial Ministry of Education was astonished when he accompanied a recording visit to Kang’Ombe, the site of the only village-based preschool in Eastern Province. “Kang’Ombe has organized this preschool by itself. It’s an amazing accomplishment.” The principal for the government primary school six kilometers away said, “Kang’Ombe’s preschool has contributed to our school the brightest, most prepared students in the entire area. This will put them far ahead as they face new challenges.” The Ministry of Education representative continued, “Other communities can take after their example. Your radio program will inspire and show how they did it. And we’re prepared to lend a helping hand to those communities that are interested.” Our Village is an invaluable stimulus and information sharing resource in the development of local communities.
Our Village programs also feature village histories and topical music and drama skits to frame the development issues in the communities’ cultural and historical context. This increases the listener appeal of the programs. Topical music and drama performances also serve instructional purposes. For example, in the program recorded in Kang’Ombe Village, the local drama group dramatized how obstacles in developing their preschool were overcome. This proved to be as instructive as any interview on how a community can organize such a school.
Testing, Monitoring, Grants, and Expansion
The program format is based on rigorous in-village testing of pilot programs. Monitoring and evaluation activities, designed and carried out by partner organization Juarez and Associates, measures the impact of the programs through village radio listening groups, and will help EDC and its partner stations improve the effectiveness of the Our Village programs over time. The radio programs are backed up with resources. EDC will implement a grants program related to Our Village program themes that will assist communities in their own local development projects as part of the effort to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS.
During Year One, EDC has implemented the ZCR Project in Eastern Province, selected because of its proximity to Malawi and Mozambique, a trans-border area with increased risk of migration of HIV infection. Plans for Years Two and beyond focus on extending the project area to other trans-border regions, inside Zambia as well as to neighboring countries.
Still in its early stages, the Zambia Community Radio Project has been warmly received in every community it has visited. Villages are immensely proud of their development projects and are eager to share their successes and lessons learned with their neighboring communities. It is anticipated that the Our Village radio series will be a dynamic facilitator to community interaction and capacity building and a powerful tool in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS.
IDD is a division of Education Development Center (EDC), an international, nonprofit organization with more than 325 projects dedicated to enhancing learning, promoting health, and fostering a deeper understanding of the world.
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