Youth Media

An estimated one in three Zambians are HIV positive and many young people are poorly informed about sexual intercourse and protection. Even though it is apparent that Zambian youth are sexually active, it is still taboo to discuss sex-related topics. Youth media aims to contest these taboos and the stigmas surrounding sexually transmitted diseases and other reproductive health matters. Established by three sisters, this is Zambia’s only youth portal created and produced by young people. The portal aims to stimulate community dialogue and promote the use of services for prevention, care and support through their “Trendsetters” Magazine, Radio and Website.

Anna Musonda Phiri 

Project Contact:
Kwesi Ghartey-Tagoe

Malaria Control and Prevention through Partnership

After fourteen years of a civil war that left the country in economic ruins with an insufficient health system, journalists and editorial writers in Liberia have taken the battle to fight Malaria into their own hands. Television, radio stations and newspapers have formed an alliance run by two local networks, known as the Malaria Media Committee and the National Malaria Network of Liberia. As one of the world’s poorest countries, Liberia desperately needs to combat Malaria. This media campaign is concerned with educating the country about ways of protecting their loved ones from this lethal disease.

Project Contact:
Marianne Byrne

Radio La Voz De Atitlan

Radio La Voz De Atitlan is unique as it communicates to the indigenous people who do not speak Spanish, as opposed to most other media channels in the country.

During the 1980’s genocide this radio station openly defended Santiago’s 40,000 indigenous people. However, taking this brave stance was not easy as the director was kidnapped and soldiers repeatedly vandalised the station by smashing its windows and stealing studio equipment. Teaching natives to read and write is crucial to its programmes, although it also rallied clothing, food and medicine in the midst of disasters such as Hurricane Stan.

Project Contact:

Francisco Cua Tiney

Norway

This media project, based in Oslo, Norway, run mainly by Burmese journalists, works to promote the freedom of expression in Burma, a country under strict military rule. Thanks to modern technology, the project provides unprejudiced news and current affairs from Norway to the people of Burma. This channel is the country’s largest information network inside of Burma.

Project Contact:

Aye Chan Naing

Specialising in conflict resolution, Common Ground Productions targets Nigerian urban youth through local Television programming in the attempt to steer them away from violence and rivalry. Reflecting the country’s rich diversity, Common Ground Productions promotes inter-ethnic, inter-religious and cross-regional tolerance by providing insight into the daily lives of Nigerians of different backgrounds.

Project Contact:

Lynn Allen Scheid

Regardless of a history of civil wars, social unrest and widespread political mistrust, Senegal continues its development towards democracy. Freedom Online is one of the media projects that aims to grow with the Senegalese people, forging a path towards a modernisation, while still embracing African values. The website entertains Senegalese youth by instilling national pride, in order to prevent them from seeking false utopia in Europe. The project also tries to find solutions to challenges such as keeping rural workers in their villages by helping to improve the country’s agricultural development.

Project Contact:

Khalil Gueye

Moi Raion

The fundamental belief of Moi Raion, a Russian newspaper network, is simply that if you give people information about their economical and political surroundings and make them feel empowered, then they may take action to improve their situation. St. Petersburg’s Moi Raion is the second largest news-focused publication in the city. It is free of charge and not a medium for politicians to campaign for themselves. In this way, Moi Raion sets an example to fight against corruption and shame in Russia.

Project Contact:

Grigory Kunis

The Media Monitoring Project examines the informative output of radio, television and print media in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. The mission is simply to monitor the country’s media output to uncover the extent to which it adheres to international standards of freedom of expression and journalism. The Media Monitoring Project brings the public up to date with news and current affairs, especially focusing on the role that the media plays during election times.

Project Contact:

Andrew Moyse

The Weekly blitz is the largest tabloid newspaper in Bangladesh. It tackles the rise of militant Islam and aims to improve communications between Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus and other religious groups in order to prevent segregation. The  Weekly Blitz continues to serve its public regardless of financial hardships and criticism from the government, as well as several religious groups.  

Project Contact:

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

 Nepal

Radio Karnali is a community radio station operating in one of the poorest and most remote regions in Nepal where the locals whose lives are jeopardized by high levels of conflict, hunger, disease and illiteracy, have almost no access to media and information. Now, through Radio Karnali, people of this district are able to learn about their government and international current affairs that have a direct impact on their lives. During the state of emergency, the radio station also challenged the government-run media and paved the way towards a democracy where all voices are heard.

Project Contact:

Nirmala Manat

Zambia

The Chikuni Mission is a perfect example of community strength and how people can grasp opportunities to develop themselves. The radio station operates from the Chikuni Mission that covers an area of 60 kilometres and works in association with the Grain Bank to achieve a sustainable agriculture programme for food security in the region. Chikuni Radio is also unique in the way it informs a variety of communities about the Millennium Development Goals in traditional languages.

Project Contact:

Matongo Maumbi

Ghana

The vision of this radio station is to provide information in the form of entertainment, in order to merge the modern with the traditional. This gives everyone an opportunity to freely share their views on matters that effect Ghana. Dissimilar to other Ghanaian modern radio stations, Rok FM pays particular attention to Ghanaian indigenous music in order to rebuild the audience’s interest in Ghanaian culture.

Project Contact:

Richie Oseikuffou

Sunrise 106.7 FM

Sunrise FM delivers reliable broadcasting services to the people of Ghana’s Eastern Regions. Development Agenda, one of its main programmes, aims to tackle stories and issues that the public may otherwise not have access to discuss. Debate topics vary from issues such as environment and ecology, to unemployment and inequality. Sunrise FM aims to enhance the education and development of the national psyche.

Project Contact:

F.K. Nana Frempomg

Play your part

Tanzania

Capacity for change is a programme aimed at educating women about maternal and newborn health through participatory film making. In Tanzania, women are the main producers in rural areas. Thus when a woman dies or becomes disabled, the economy suffers as well. In Tanzania a woman dies every hour of every day in the year, often in connection to child birth. Volunteers, filmmakers and midwives are trained in filmmaking with the support of the Ministry of Health, in order to promote health awareness and empower women to claim their rights.

Project Contact:

Rose Mlay

Kisan Vani

Kisan Vani All India Radio, known as the “Farmers Voice” has become very popular on 86 stations around India. This is an exclusive channel for farmers and agricultural workers who help sustain India’s economy. In their firm belief that knowledge equals power, this channel disseminates useful information relating to agricultural activities across the country. The station has greater access to the farmers at grass root level than any other media agency in the country, keeping its audiences informed about issues such as the bird flu, the tsunami, earthquakes, floods and droughts.

Project Contact:

Ramesh Agrawal

The Young Reporters project, launched in 2001, has become the voice of young Albania, helping them overcome alienation from the early years of political transition. The television show TROC (straight talk) made by young people with portable DVD cameras, entertains and informs its audience by reporting on issues that affect every aspect of Albanian youth’s lives. TROC is now the longest running television programme in modern Albania. Thanks to this programme, young people are speaking out and being heard on an original television show that is nothing but straight talk.

Project Contact:

Enkela Qinami

Nrityanjali Academy

India

As a socio-cultural organisation, the Nrityanjali Academy implements projects aimed at people living with HIV/AIDS, paying special attention to their rights such as the right to life, education and childhood. The Nrityanjali Academy collaborates with different NGO’s to reach out to the people most in need. They raise awareness of the issues through activities such as music, street theatre performances and film. 

Project Contact:

P. Narsingrao

Maisha Yetu Campaign

Maisha Yetu, (‘Our Lives’) is a programme aimed at training journalists to increase the accuracy and consistency of reporting on HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria in Africa. Supported by the Bill and Melina Gates Foundation, this media campaign has proved to be successful in Senegal, Botswana and Kenya. Maisha Yetu is extremely vital as African news media does not make health reporting a priority. The campaign provides continuous on-site training by top management, and also endorses the Millennium Development Goals by emphasising the empowerment of female journalists (at least 50% of the reporters must be women), and by enhancing coverage of women’s issues.  

Project Contact:

Jane Ransom

Voices for Peace

Voices for Peace, a community publications project, works to strengthen the peace process in Angola, through its monthly magazine ‘Ondaka’, published in Portuguese and in the local language Umbundu. This provides the residents of the Huambo province with access to information, as well as providing a platform for participation in social and political processes and a venue for getting their voices heard.  The local radio station in Huambo also reads out the contents of the magazine to those who are illiterate. As a result, civil society has become stronger and the project has promoted interaction between communities and enabled people to have their voices heard by government officials.

Project Contact:

Allan Cain

Project Contact:
Mohommad Ali Abtahi

Zuria FM

Zuria FM is a private radio station situated in the city of Kumasi in Ghana. It broadcasts in 16 languages to people from all over West Africa, and its programmes deal mainly with community issues such as health, law or politics. Zuria FM has also helped fundraising for members of its audience community.

Project Contact:
Alhaji Habu Haruna