Stephanie writes about her self-isolation experience and reflects on stories from Sierra Leone, “I started thinking about what could encourage me through this time. I remembered a story from Ebola (1) survivor, Aliu, who I met in Sierra Leone and whose story stayed with me. Even in the darkest of times, facing grief and trauma, Aliu had hope and reached out to others.”
Information is a basic need during challenging times
One of my earliest experiences in community centred media took me to Banda Aceh a number of years after the tragic tsunami in 2004. Five years on and the devastation was clearly still visible. Research by colleagues with disaster response found in that initial critical phase of the disaster, people weren’t necessarily prioritising items that we would associate with primary needs such as food, water, shelter but the most important need was information.
Overcoming fear, fake news and misinformation at a time of crisis
Our partners at Amani FM in Tana River County, eastern Kenya, report that rumours, fake news and misinformation about the Corona virus, are causing fear and panic. They are working hard to ensure that good information is being disseminated, that constructive dialogue is happening and that community fears and concerns are being heard.
Radio MAMA builds resilience in the face of Covid-19
We asked yesterday how the Radio MAMA content on Coronavirus is developing and what community members make of the radio content. Radio MAMA is limiting their information sources to Government and WHO to avoid confusion. As a community-centred project, Radio MAMA recognises that reliable information about the virus is only part of the picture
Localising the international response to Coronavirus
Training Peace Ambassadors
Eastern Kenya’s Tana River County has long been affected by violent conflict. Poverty and political interference has added fuel to the fire, along with pressure from Al Shebab extremists who are trying to destabilise Kenya. It is for that reason that journalists from HCR’s partner station, Amani FM are undergoing training as “peace ambassadors.”
Healthy Bumps & Bubs
Rising voices in Omugo Zone
In January 2020, the Soot Semee team in Northern Uganda handed out first Soot Semee podcasts on memory cards to a community of South Sudanese refugees. At the same time, they distributed speakerboxes so that over 100 groups of around 10-20 people each can listen to the podcasts together. One of the community members said …
"It can't be done! "
“It can’t be done” is a phrase the New Dawn community services group won’t accept!
They’ve heard it said that local women can’t talk on the media about topics that are considered shameful in their culture. Determined to see women in their village able to have more control over their health, the team have come up with a solution.
Revitalising audio ... smart speakers, podcasts and speakerboxes
Voice activated speakers like the Google Home and Amazon’s Echo Dot have triggered renewed interest in audio media and boosted the popularity of podcasts according to Reuters Institute. In some places where HCR partners are working, portable speakers with digital audio are key sources for information and entertainment. Increasingly HCR partners are using speakerboxes where there are restictions on using FM radio…
The Next Ten
Eighteen months ago, Nanda could not read or write - today she regularly reads stories to her parents! The ADIVASI VOICES PROJECT is changing the lives of Nanda and others in her remote tribal community in Maharashtra, India. Her teacher says, "Thanks to the project there is now 100% school attendance and there are more girls in school than boys. You have helped parents see the value of education.”
The Pervasive Flavour of SALT
A new community is benefitting from the Amplifying Voices through SALT project (AVS) in Freetown, Sierra Leone! Young people in Sammy Town have taken up the challenge to repair the damaged roads in their neighbourhood following a chance encounter with project volunteers. Sammy Town is a community in the hills overlooking the centre of Freetown.
Soot Semee (Voice of Compassion) begins ...
Sustainable Development Goals
The 17 SDGs reflect that EVERYONE has a role to play in the sustainable development of our future. We know community media is an essential component towards achieving the SDGs, which is why we are facilitating community-centred media around the world to support communities live life in all their fullness, free from poverty, injustice and conflict. Some of the ways in which we support the SDG’s include…
Yet more evidence… radio changes lives!
How a radio project dramatically improved the lives of communities in conflict… An evaluation of HCR’s community-centred radio model in an area of violent conflict, has shown that it led to significant improvements in the community. This study is evidence that a local level community-centred radio and their volunteers is powerful way facilitating dialogue, livelihood and participatory communication outcomes in contexts characterised by sustained conflict, disadvantage and disempowerment.
Sunda Sar (Skull of a bull)
Whatever we asked, the reply was: “no, we do not have it”, “no one listens to us”, “no one comes to us” or “no one is willing to help us”.
A community leader told HCR’s Hazeen Latif, “we are 3000 houses and an estimated population of 15000 including children and elderly people there is not a single BHU (basic health unit) or even some private clinic. There is no public dispensary. The list goes on and on. This is “Sunda Sar” or “skull of bull” meaning a place of prosperity and power.
Adivasi Lives Matter
In today's tech savvy world, information is just a click away with our mobile phones and computers, or if those aren't in reach, our televisions and even radios all help keep us informed. But what if we didn't have any of these available to us? How would we find out important health and community information? HCR has been working in partnership with Seva Social Welfare Foundation in remote parts of India’s Maharashtra state, home to many indigenous groups known as Adivasis.
Two years of promoting peace
Two years ago a small team from HCR set up a community-centred radio station in the remote town of Garsen in eastern Kenya’s Tana River County, training a team of volunteers from different tribal groups. Ahead of the August 2017 elections, the station was designed to promote peace and social development in an area that had all-too-often experienced violent conflict along ethnic lines.
Today, two years on, Amani FM has become a vibrant part of the community and a powerful voice for peace
Community cleans up
“The garbage situation was getting so bad in our town, that something had to be done about it,” says Harriet Atyang, the station manager of HCR partner station, Amani FM, in eastern Kenya’s Tana River county. Approached by the Kenya Red Cross in an effort to help the problem, Amani FM was able to go on air and get a conversation going about the importance of keeping the environment clean.
"You kept your promise!"
What a joy to be back in the remote Maharashtran village of Kahandol in time to celebrate the inauguration of their two new wells. Just four months earlier I had been standing on a dried up riverbed with my Indian colleagues, Shilpa, Sam and Akshay and the head of the village, Patil Ramdas Warde. Ramdas told us how the drought had brought great hardship to his village, with only 28 days of water, and he had asked us if there was anything we could do to help …