SFCG Interns Share Lessons from Community Radio in West Africa

By Lisa Inks

After a summer of intensive research in West Africa, three fellow interns and I were recently invited to share our findings in SFCG’s Washington office. A swath of SFCG staffers and members of the general public gathered for the occasion: an October brownbag lunch presentation.

Intern Lisa Inks talks with women in Pujehun District about their opinions of Radio Wanjei

Cyrus Ahalt, Simone Grant, Immanuel Wolff, and I—all Masters students studying international affairs—set out to address the question, “What is the impact of community radio on development and peacebuilding?”

A key research source was Talking Drum Studio (TDS), SFCG’s main arm in West Africa. TDS produces and distributes radio and TV programs that encourage peacebuilding. These programs are then aired on community stations throughout the region.

To that end, we used a mix of qualitative and quantitative data tools applied to four locations: in Sierra Leone, Radio Wanjei (Pujehun District) and Radio Kolenten (Kambia District) and in Liberia Radio Kergheamahn (Ganta, Nimba County) and Radio Life (Zorzor, Lofa County).

We then compared and consolidated our findings.

We discovered that community radio in these rural areas has a significant impact—it serves as a channel for local government and NGOs to communicate development goals and projects, as an independent driver of development through self-generated programming, and as an agent of peacebuilding.

Below are some key findings from our research :

• Radio strengthens civil society organizations, enabling them to communicate more effectively and address development concerns on-air
• NGOs effectively use community radio to broaden their reach and to educate communities about important issues, such as HIV/AIDS prevention

• Community radio programming is the sole source of news and information in the research locations, fostering inclusive discussions on development
• Radio is credited with improving sanitation and cleanliness through awareness campaigns
• Radio is further credited with reducing violent crime, particularly gender-based violence, as a result of interactive programming and investigative journalism
• Radio programs that directly address peacebuilding issues and promote unity are popular and have a high-impact

While existing radio programs proved to catalyze progress, financial constraints threaten the effectiveness and sustainability of all four

Ibrahim Kamara (center) listen to Radio Wanjei's "Learning Zone," an interactive quiz program

radio stations studied.

After the presentation, staffers engaged in a robust discussion addressing ways to strengthen community radio’s role as an agent of peace.  Providing training in best practices was a highlighted answer.

The group also brainstormed solutions to other challenges, such as the need for financial management training, greater mobility and improved journalism skills.

In addition, they addressed the need for community radio stations to maintain their independence in the face of political pressures and to ensure increased participation of marginalized groups, such as youth, women and the unemployed.

In the end, event attendees voiced a shared commitment to supporting these community radio stations by following up on recommendations to ensure their sustainability as agents of development and peace.