"Journey of Life" Radio Drama Project

Project dates: (November 2001 - June 2002)

Themes: HIV/AIDS, Gender, Capacity Building, Community Mobilization, and Family Planning.

• Overview
• Objectives
• Activities
• Outputs
• Impact
• Unique Features
• Future Plans
• Donors and Partners

Overview

JHU/PCS, in collaboration with National Office of Population (NOP), MOH, Consortium of Family Planning NGOs in Ethiopia (COFAP), and other partners, has developed a FP and HIV/AIDS prevention radio serial drama based on formative research conducted during 2000. The radio drama addresses perceived risk and self-efficacy as it relates to 1) FP and HIV/AIDS and 2) dual protection offered by condoms.

Ato Araya Demissie, JHU/PCS Country Representative, receives numerous entries for health contests in response to the radio broadcast.

Objectives

• To educate and encourage the audience to realize that FP is one of the most important ways they can improve their own lives, the lives of their families, and the quality of life throughout Ethiopia.
• To communicate to the people of Ethiopia that it is possible to control the epidemic of HIV/AIDS by taking appropriate measures to control the disease through education and healthy lifestyle choices.

Activities

• Radio drama workshop
• Script writing and translations
• Recording and production
• Monitoring and evaluation

Outputs

• Broadcasting
• Impact assessment
• Post-broadcast contests
  

Impact

To evaluate the impact of the radio dramas, a two-pronged evaluation was conducted employing qualitative research methods to assess the program reach and effectiveness, as well as listener opinions and behaviors in response to the radio broadcasts. Case studies were conducted using a combination of interviews, extensive observation and field notes, weekly updates, and feedback to JHU/PCS. The second prong of the evaluation, media monitoring, used fresh-listing (new lists of local homes as compared to old listings) and surveys to compile monthly reports.

Unique Features

• Each radio drama broadcast concludes with a contest for listeners pertinent to information covered in each show. Listeners write their responses and send them in to the show, where winners are selected weekly to receive prizes such as show T-shirts and other health promotion materials. The contest is intended to boost the proportion of regular listeners and encourage retention of information presented in the radio programs.
• Baltimore-based JHU/PCS staff conducted a baseline survey on BCC methods in HIV/AIDS and FP among urban youth prevention in Addis Ababa. Findings from this research, published in the report "Managing Fear, Giving Hope: HIV/AIDS and Family Planning Behavior Change Communication Guidelines for Urban Youth" were used to improve messages designed by radio program scriptwriters in Ethiopia and incorporated directly into radio programs. This research-production synergy assures that program contents and information dissemination techniques are timely and capitalize on best practices in communication.
  

Future Plans

• Broadcasting the drama on other radio stations in Ethiopia.
• Adapting the radio drama for community drama productions.

Donors and Partners

• National Office of Population (NOP) and the Regional Population Offices
• Ministry of Health's Health Education Department (MOH/HED)
• Ministry of Health's Family Health Department (MOH/FHD)
• Pathfinder International
• Consortium of Family Planning NGOs in Ethiopia (COFAP)
• USAID
  
  

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