Tuning into the Future: Radio Lessons Empower Generations in Guinea-Bissau

Pre-recorded lessons are part of the “Child Radio Education” program adopted by the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education, and Scientific Research (MENESIC) since 2020, in Guinea-Bissau. This year, with funding from UNICEF French National Committee, over 200 lessons are being broadcasted in school communities in the Gabú and Bafatá regions to improve children's essential literacy and numeracy skills and create an educational routine that fosters active participation from parents and caregivers. There are modules for children with knowledge equivalent to or below the third grade, literacy levels equivalent to or above the 4th grade, including children out of the school children.

This morning, the youngest students from Sonaco School and other children out of the school system in the Gabú region, in eastern Guinea-Bissau, are participating in a remedial class, closely following the recorded lessons. These classes not only spark children's interest in learning but also help them better understand essential subjects, such as math and Portuguese, while exploring important topics like human rights, citizenship, and gender equality. A volunteer facilitator from the NGO National Action for Community Development (ANADEC) is nearby, ready to clarify any doubts the children might have.

Next, it will be the turn of the older students, who will also gather around the radio.

 "The radio explains well, and I can understand everything," says Amadeu Baldé, a 13-year-old boy in 5^th grade of Basic Education, Cutame School in Gabú. 

Although he likes his teacher very much, Amadeu sometimes has doubts, especially about the Portuguese language. It’s during the remedial classes, held twice a week, that he takes the opportunity to resolve these questions with the facilitator.

Amadeu is not the only child in this situation. Data from the 2019 MICS reveal that only 12 percent of children aged seven (7) to 14 in Guinea-Bissau had basic reading skills, and just seven (7) percent basic numeracy skills. Furthermore, only 27 percent of children completed the 6th grade.

"Last week, the radio gave a math lesson—addition, subtraction, and multiplication—and the week before, it was about division," says Amadeu enthusiastically. "I like addition the most because it’s easier," he adds, laughing. But for Amadeu, the best part of school and the remedial classes is always the break, when he plays “football with friends."

The programme, “Youth Empowerment as Agents of Change for Education” goes beyond supporting education. It includes a strong community awareness and mobilization component focused on empowering girls and protecting them against gender-based violence, particularly female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage through UNFPA-UNICEF joint programme aimed to Eliminate FGM, a practice that remains alarmingly prevalent in Guinea-Bissau.

These activities build on the efforts initiated in 2019 through the project “Education, Empowerment, and Participation of Adolescent Girls”, funded by UNICEF French National Committee.  The central goal was to equip girls and adolescent women with life skills, ensuring access to learning opportunities and creating an environment conducive to their full development.

The impact of community awareness is already being felt. Since the 2019 project, the number of girls attending Cutame School has increased significantly. [IK1] This progress continues to be strengthened by the current “Youth Empowerment as Agents of Change for Education” programme.

Uma Embalo, for example, started participating in the weekly meetings organized by the NGO National Action for Community Development, the implementing partner, at Cutame School, Gabú, when she was in 5^th grade. Today, at 17 years old, she is happy to see her family supporting her education instead of pressuring her to get married. She is now in 7^th grade and dreams of becoming a doctor.

“Men and women have the same rights. I heard it on the radio,” says Djenabu Candé. 

At 17 years old, Djenabu has been actively participating in the remedial sessions at Sonaco School in Gabú and now feels ready to start 7^th grade. Thanks to the project’s community mobilization, her learning has gone beyond school subjects; Djenabu now understands concepts such as women’s and youth empowerment, gender equality, menstrual hygiene, and gender-based violence.

In the neighboring region of Bafatá, 18-year-old Fatumata Djau can even list the human rights. “The right to life, health, education, identity...” she proudly says. The young woman from Sintchã Farba participates in community dialogue sessions and has learned a lot about harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), as well as other forms of gender-based violence. “You don’t need to be excised to be pure,” she asserts confidently.

Community dialogue is especially crucial when considering that 52 percent of women and girls aged 15 to 49 years in Guinea-Bissau have had FGM. In the regions of Bafatá and Gabú, these rates are even more alarming, reaching 87 percent and 96 percent, respectively.

To complement these efforts, the programme includes dedicated sessions with parents and caregivers. During these meetings, facilitators present parents with the content of the radio lessons so they can follow their children’s learning and explain the importance of protecting children, especially girls, from harmful cultural norms and practices.

"This helps protect my sisters," says 16-year-old boy in Duá Sano. "My sisters are younger, and if anyone says they should get married, I will not allow it because they still need to study," adds the young boy from Gã Tauda, in Bafatá.

This afternoon, Duá was supposed to be playing football with his friends, but he chose to attend the community dialogue instead. Here, the older and younger generations gather under the shade of the largest tree in the village to talk. For him, the best part is the advice the facilitators give on how to treat women, how couples should communicate, and how to prevent domestic violence. "These are things they don’t teach us at school," Duá says, firmly.

When he returns to football practice, Duá shares with his friends what was discussed during the community meeting. "Some do not take it seriously and laugh, but others have already started coming to the sessions with me," he says with a smile.