Children and community radio
One of the ways in which UNICEF South Africa showcases its ongoing programmatic work is by supporting children’s participation in the media. Specifically, UNICEF works with community radio stations to build the capacity of community radio broadcasters on children’s rights and to improve and increase the quality of children’s programming for, with and by children. Why community radio? With television focused in the larger urban areas, community radio, which reaches over five million listeners every day, more than 12% of the total radio audience of South Africa is one of the most effective tools for monitoring and advocating for the realisation of child rights at local and household level. How do we do this? In response to requests from non governmental organisations (NGOs) and government partners, children and young people in rural communities, UNICEF and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund are working with the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism to train media professionals and children in a pilot project based in KwaZulu Natal, the province hardest hit by poverty and HIV and AIDS.The 2003 International Children’s Day of Broadcasting provided the platform to kick-start this initiative. Participants learn to develop children's programming for 8 community radio stations. UNICEF provides seed funding and technical assistance to stations, reaching approximately 262, 000 listeners according to the latest AMPS figures. Groups of five children participate at each of the radio stations. The children, all from primary schools, are selected by their schools and the ages range from between 10 and 14. On average, there are more girls than boys participating in this activity. The children work closely with non governmental partners linked to the Girls’ Education Movement (GEM) and the Safe Schools Project to develop program content. The first phase of the training with the radio stations accelerated efforts to raise awareness with station managers and community radio programmers for more quality programming on human and child rights, HIV and Aids, orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s) and gender based violence for, with and by children. While, the second phase of the training which supported children to produce programs and file stories culminated in a special broadcast to celebrate the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting 2004. There are now weekly programs of a one to two hour duration, produced and presented by children, with variety of formats including phone-ins, interviews, features and music. A national roll-out plan for stations has begun with emphasis on communities in KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo and Eastern Cape provinces. International Children's Day of Broadcasting 2004
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