BBC Media Action Feed

Handing the microphone to Afghan women

2021-03-10T16:00:04+00:00

Four Afghan women were killed in as many days in March 2021 – targeted for being women working in television and in medicine. As Afghanistan’s peace process is marked by increasing violence, we held remarkable sessions of our Open Jirga and WhatMatters2U programmes, giving women from the farthest corners of the country a voice.

The only thing more worrying than COVID-19 in Afghanistan now is the threat of bombings and violence. More than a year after the Taliban signed a deal with the United States, a wave of assassinations continues, targeting journalists, judges and activists in drive-by shootings or ‘sticky bombs’ on vehicles.

Yet, when COVID-19 travel restrictions began to lift, we knew this was our opportunity to get outside of Kabul. We wanted to give people outside the capital the chance to share their views on the peace process in our debate and discussion programmes.

For months, we had been using mobile phones and video calls to give people a platform to discuss the peace process. We wanted to do it in person – and most importantly, we wanted to focus on women, so often excluded from public discussion and left virtually invisible in Afghanistan.

Shazia Haya opens the WhatMatters2U discussion in Herat. Credit: BBC Media Action Afghanistan

To the heart of the Silk Road

We started with a trip to Afghanistan’s third-largest city, Herat, in the west, 700 kilometres from Kabul. This city was at the heart of the ancient Silk Road and it is breath-taking, famous for its ancient sites, its arts and culture.

On our journey we passed four minarets commissioned 700 years ago by the powerful Mughul queen Gawhardshad Begum, which have survived decades of bombings by Soviet and then American forces. To me, they signify elegance and strength – much like the young women we were about to meet for our programmes, Open Jirga, and our new online show, WhatMatters2U, focused on young people.

In Herat, I found myself moderating a discussion among 30 young women, including small business owners, software designers, engineers, and a group of girls who are Afghanistan’s first and only girls’ robotics team.

Women at a special session of WhatMatters2U, our online discussion platform, in Herat. Credit: BBC Media Action Afghanistan

A new generation of women

These young women represent a new generation. They have overcome deeply entrenched patriarchal culture and traditions to get an education, and to achieve in fields that are not traditional for women in even more equal societies. The fame of the girls’ robotics team has travelled far beyond the boundaries of this conservative province and even outside of Afghanistan itself.

In my work I have heard so many stories of women abused and deprived of their most basic rights – to education, to proper health care, to grow up before being married and bearing children. Herat remains deeply conservative, with some of the highest reported rates of violence against women in the country. Domestic abuse is so pervasive that the town’s main hospital even has a dedicated ward for female survivors of self-immolation – linked to severe abuse and extreme domestic violence.

And yet here stood these young women, with a line-up of high-tech devices – their creations - on display. Sumaya, the captain of the robotics’ team, proudly shared with our group a medical device first created from old car parts. “This is an alternative machine to a ventilator. We invented this to save lives during this pandemic,” she said.

The ventilator built by the girls' robotics' team is shown at a special discussion session of WhatMatters2U. Credit: BBC Media Action Afghanistan

'Against the dominant beliefs of society'

But Sumaya and her team also spoke of the many hurdles that block progress for Afghan women – a feeling echoed by many of the comments during the show. We broadcast this episode as a Facebook Live which drew a quarter of a million viewers, who joined our studio audience in asking questions of these remarkable women. How might women in other parts of the country learn these skills, when so many do not have access to education? Why can women not have support to achieve in technology?

‘What we make is against the dominant beliefs in our society. Making hardware and software is not perceived as a woman’s expertise,” said one of our participants, a software designer. Despite her achievements, she too has felt limited by cultural restrictions and constant threat of violence, and said she is virtually stuck in this corner of Afghanistan. “I couldn’t go to Kabul to receive an award for one of our products, due to safety concerns and family restrictions,” she said.

The mothers of these young women also joined the show, and I asked them what it has taken to realise their daughters’ dreams. The mother of one of the young women on the robotics team described the pain and worry she feels over her daughter’s achievements.

“When my daughter steps out of the house, and until she returns, my heart is pounding, worrying about her safety. But most painful is [knowing] the negative beliefs of society, towards girls going out of home and doing what is seen as taboo,” she said. “I have said to save the future of this country, we have to pay the price and go through endless hardship.”

The city without women

With her words in my ears, our next stop was Kandahar, 300 kilometres to the south and Afghanistan’s second-largest city. It was my first trip here and when we arrived, I thought of it as ‘the city without women’, as there were no women to be seen on the streets - women are expected to remain at home, out of sight.

Shazia Haya opens Open Jirga in Kandahar. Credit: BBC Media Action Afghanistan.

This is the heartland of the Taliban, which forbids girls’ education and progress, and still controls some of its districts.

In this conservative setting, we had decided to do something unprecedented: an all-women show, inviting 50 women to ask questions of a panel that included Afghanistan’s Minister of the Economy, one of few women in Cabinet.

We expected many to refuse. Many had journeys to the studio that took them directly through areas of conflict. Yet 47 of the 50 invited women turned up. Despite the hardship and the risk, these women wanted to be heard.

The best Women's Day gift - equality

In all of our sessions, we had to take security precautions – both against COVID-19, and against the threat of violence. To protect against the virus, we held our sessions outdoors, ensured everyone washed their hands and wore masks, and ensured physical distance between guests. And to help protect these women against repercussions for participating, we invited them to keep their faces covered if they wished, and ensured none of our participants were named.

Yet few were discouraged from speaking. The best Women’s Day gift, one said, would be if her family and her society would respect her and treat her as an equal human being. Another wanted to study what she was interested in – journalism and broadcasting – instead of Islamic studies, as her family insisted.

A woman from Kandahar cries as she relays her difficult journey to a special Open Jirga session. Credit: BBC Media Action Afghanistan

But the one whose voice will remain with me was a 40-something mother who arrived a few minutes late. She was among the first to raise her hand to speak – but when she did, she broke down in tears. Her journey to make herself heard, she said, had almost cost her her life, as she had found herself caught in an armed battle between the Taliban and government forces.

'We deserve a normal life'

“There is fighting in our district every day,” she said. “We are exhausted and shattered by bullets and bombs.”

After the show, I pulled her aside. Why had she gone through such danger to attend our show? She told me simply that she wanted our panel, and the world, to know that Afghanistan women needed to breathe. They deserve a normal life.

Open Jirga is BBC Media Action’s long-running debate and discussion programme covering issues of national importance for Afghans. WhatMatters2U is a social media-led debate and discussion programme aimed at young audiences, particularly women and girls. Both are funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Police reform: how media is addressing security reform in Nigeria

2020-11-13T14:04:49+00:00

Amid the End SARS protests and political unrest sweeping many states in Nigeria, Project Manager Damian Ihekoronye describes how BBC Media Action Nigeria’s creative team are working to facilitate dialogue and accountability between Nigerians and their police force. Our ‘E fit happen’ series, which depicts what an ideal police force might look like and what it might take to get there, has gone viral across Nigeria, with millions of views that have sparked debate on the necessity of police reforms and accountability.

When we started the Security and Justice Reform Programme in late 2017, our formative research indicated that challenges around police reform were deep and entrenched: budgets were not transparent, security institutions were male-dominated, and human rights violations were seen as part of the job. These issues made Nigerians afraid to discuss police reform publicly, including in the media.

Many Nigerians held entrenched biases about the police, based on their negative experiences. I also had unconscious bias towards the police, due to some ugly experiences of my own and I wasn’t the only one. Many of my colleagues shared stories when we sat down for our first production meeting.

Using media to address security reform was entirely new territory, and highly sensitive. It was difficult for media organisations to talk about the accountability of uniformed men and women to Nigerian citizens.

“Police is your friend’’

This is the slogan the police here have tried to use to win the confidence and trust of the people, but it has not taken root. People just didn’t trust the police and are more likely to associate them with corruption, intimidation, brutality and bribery. Our national programming aimed to foster informed, inclusive, and constructive public discussion and dialogue to bring about change – and we knew it would be a challenge.

We started by conducting rigorous research in five focal states of Lagos, Borno, Enugu, Kano and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – to gain insight into audiences’ perceptions, knowledge and understanding of the issues.

Our research team in Abuja found only 25% of respondents said they had confidence in police to prevent crime. A young male in rural Enugu told our researchers, “For the policemen, you have to ‘settle’ (bribe) them before they carry out operation no matter what”. And only 5% of survey participants were concerned about security issues. Socio-economic issues including poverty, unemployment and the lack of social amenities came first.

So how could our programmes address an issue that was clearly a ticking time bomb, but not a top priority for most people? Should we approach it with confrontational conversation and blame? These options felt risky and unlikely to drive positive change.

We decided to leverage our flagship Nigerian radio programmes Talk Your Own and Mu Tattauna (Let’s Discuss) because our audience research indicated that they were listened to by at least 3 of 10 research respondents across Nigeria.

We facilitated informed, inclusive and constructive dialogue for public discussions. We moderated conversations between top police officials and the public across our radio, TV and social media platforms.

We created ‘Kommando’, a visual and audio comic skit that used humour to engage with audiences about sensitive topics such as bribery or harassment of women in general by police. This popular comedy helped lessen people’s fear of discussing these problems in the media and we saw audiences begin to connect to the real issues.

Policemen and women also enjoyed the 'Kommando' skits and shared them widely amongst their colleagues. A young man in rural Borno described how he didn’t used to go to the police. “..Now I have been encouraged by the programme that I can visit the police station with my head up high and leave there the same way.”

Changing the narrative – "E fit happen"

Given the underlying public distrust towards the police, to engage Nigerians in solutions-based discussions about police reform we employed an aspirational approach to our programming.

Our focus on reform, moving away from antagonism to how things could get better was a novel way of approaching security reform in the Nigerian media.

We launched our "E fit happen" multimedia series also known as "Yana cya Yiwuw" in Hausa language. "E fit happen" is both a question (Can it happen?) and a belief (It can happen).

The "E fit happen" TV and radio public service announcements (PSAs) challenged citizens to envision the kind of police they wanted and to engage authorities in constructive dialogue, discussions, and conversations from an informed position. The media content showed that accountability, proper funding, public trust and training are all needed to achieve the desired police force.

Our combined radio, TV and online content reached approximately 5.8 million across the project focal states of Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Borno and FCT. And the high performing online content reached 2.2 million Facebook users across our two language handles - BBC Media Action Naija and Arewa.

Demands for action

Exactly two years since we launched this series, thousands of people have taken to the streets in Nigeria in the #EndSARS protests against police brutality, in a dramatic call for change.

I’ve seen the E Fit Happen videos go viral, with many shares, likes and millions of views sparking debate on the necessity of police reform. Despite the turmoil witnessed during the End SARs protests, at BBC Media Action we look forward to the opportunity to continue to bring Nigerians and duty bearers within the security services together to continue to engage in constructive solutions-based discussions on police reform in Nigeria.

Damian Ihekoronye
Project Manager, Security & Justice Reform Programme (SJRP)

The project has been delivering national programming across Nigeria to foster informed, inclusive, and constructive public discussion and dialogue around security and justice reform. The project has been supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the British High Commission since December 2017.

Broadcasting from the basement: supporting Afghan audiences during COVID-19

2020-05-19T12:26:02+00:00

Accurate and trusted information is critical to coping with the COVID-19 pandemic – especially when communities are already facing insecurity, as in Afghanistan. Find out how our flagship national TV discussion programme, Open Jirga, has adapted to life under lockdown to continue supporting audiences across the country to cope.

“How can families deal with the mental health effects related to quarantine?”

“We live in a Taliban controlled area, how can we access coronavirus testing services?”

“How can we hold a funeral for a loved one who has died from the virus?”

These are just some of the questions raised over the past few weeks during special COVID-19 broadcasts of our longstanding discussion show, Open Jirga.

Meaning ‘Open Assembly’ in Dari and Pashto – the main languages in Afghanistan – the show reaches over 6 million people across the country and is renowned for bringing citizens face-to-face with their leaders for inclusive and constructive debate. In previous episodes, audiences have raised important issues such as peace talks with the Taliban, disability rights and gender equality, including in debates with the current and former presidents.

The show’s success has always rested on its live studio audience, its ‘assembly’ of normal people who ask about issues that matter to them. But under lockdown, this is simply out of the question.

Last month, our production team set about adapting Open Jirga’s format to ensure the safety of our production crew and panellists, without compromising on the show’s ability to engage audiences and support them to hold their leaders to account.

Over two days, our team rapidly transformed the communal area in the basement of our Kabul office into a makeshift TV studio. We replaced the live audience with virtual question-gathering via video link, reduced the number of panellists from four to two, and followed safe distancing measures on set.

The first COVID-19 special, aired on 13 April, focussed on living with lockdown. Many people in rural areas aren’t observing the rules, in part due to conflicting messaging about physical distancing from health officials and religious leaders. So Open Jirga welcomed a top Islamic scholar and a senior health official to gather around an aftaba lagan, a traditional Afghan handwashing pot, to address people’s specific concerns and set the record straight with cohesive, trusted information.

Watch a clip from a recent Open Jirga broadcast on COVID-19

Since then we’ve covered practical topics, such as how and when to use facemasks, as well as discussed public access to health services for communities living in conflict zones or areas controlled by the Taliban. And, crucially, we’ve busted some of the new myths and rumours about COVID-19 emerging every day – for instance that drinking black tea, shaving your head or wearing henna can ‘cure’ the virus. We’ve also aimed to dispel the widely-held belief that the virus is mostly killing non-Muslims, which has led to complacency within some communities.

At BBC Media Action we also know from experience that media can help audiences feel more hopeful as they connect with others and hear them echo their questions, feelings and worries.

This is so important as there is also much fear and mistrust of health systems here in Afghanistan, and stigma towards people who have, or might have, COVID-19. As one virtual questioner puts it:

“People in our area do not want to opt for medical support fearing that if people learn they have COVID-19 they may be discriminated against or stigmatised by others as ‘coronavirus-affected people’.”

Enabling people to share and discuss their worries helps to break down this stigma and foster understanding, and by welcoming trusted figures on our basement broadcasts, we’re opening up important issues in a positive way – rather than leaving them to sow further division in society.

It’s strange not having our audience members with us in person, but there’s no doubt that they – and our millions of viewers across the country – are with us from a distance, in our new ‘virtual assembly’.

And while we hope for some form of normality to resume soon, even under lockdown the show must go on.

Shoaib Sharifi is Country Director for BBC Media Action Afghanistan.

Open Jirga is broadcast on BBC World Service Dari and Pashto Radio, as well as the state broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan. It is also aired on Salam Watandar, a network of 101 FM stations across the country.

This work is currently funded by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

To the polls: Radio changes the story for people with disabilities in Nigeria

2019-02-12T16:44:25+00:00

On World Radio Day, discover how we’re using radio in Nigeria to help people with disabilities get their voices heard in the country’s general elections.

Michael interviewing members of a disability rights group in Nigeria for Talk Your Own

“He (the driver) declined saying he didn’t want to take a wheelchair and I discovered that about five or six taxis were not going to take me… I waited for about two hours… it's the kind of thing that an average person with disability faces in our society”.

These are the words of Dr Toyin Aderemi, a disability activist and researcher who was left unable to walk after contracting polio in childhood. Toyin shared her personal experience of discrimination on our radio programme, Talk Your Own.

The World Health Organization estimates that there are 29 million people in Nigeria (15% of the population) living with a disability. Unfortunately, stories like Toyin’s are widespread – with abuse, exclusion, and discrimination a daily reality for people with disabilities in Nigeria. And sadly this goes for the electoral process too. Disabled people are often excluded from elections – both as voters and as candidates – to the point where many have become disenfranchised, resulting in little or no representation within government.

Barrister Catherine Edeh using a sign language interpreter at a BBC Media Action town hall debate

Dialogue, tolerance and peace

Our longstanding weekly radio show, Talk Your Own, airs on 160 radio stations across Nigeria and helps people – particularly from marginalised groups – to make their voices heard, draw attention to their rights, and become more involved in political processes. Our programmes regularly feature people with disabilities talking about their expectations of an inclusive voting process and holding leaders to account, which is particularly important in the lead-up to our general elections this weekend.

The show has helped me to realise how ignorant I have been in the past when it comes to inclusivity.

For instance in the run-up to Nigeria’s last general elections in 2015, I worked as an Assistant Producer facilitating the recording of our ‘town hall’ meetings for radio broadcast. My job was to walk the floor with a microphone so the audience could ask questions of local leaders and politicians. In these meetings, I would hear people murmuring about the demands made by disabled people, such as requests for brail ballot papers, magnifying glasses, and accessible polling booths. I would occasionally catch myself wondering why they were asking for things which seemed so impossible to achieve. But I’m glad to say our work has helped me to know better.

Ibrahim Adamu from Bwari, Abuja talking to Michael about the difficulties faced by PWDs

Changing minds, changing lives

Hearing more and more from people with disabilities has helped me and our millions of listeners across the country gain a deeper understanding of why these demands are so important. It’s been a privilege providing them with a platform from which to speak, and in many episodes of Talk Your Own they have been able to extract commitments from leaders and policy makers to which they can be held accountable.

The good news is that these demands are being heard and acted upon!

On 9th January, the electoral body in Nigeria released guidelines for the conduct of the 2019 elections, and in a breakthrough these guidelines include the provision of brail guides and magnifying glasses, as well as priority voting for people with disabilities. And the icing on the cake? On January 23rd the President signed a bill into law which prohibits discrimination against disabled people.

Both of these moments are just a small milestone in the bigger journey towards a completely inclusive Nigeria. But for me, as a member of the BBC Media Action Nigeria radio team, now more than ever it strengthens my resolve that making inclusive radio programmes will lead to a better society for all.

Michael Ashofor is a Producer for BBC Media Action Nigeria, based in Abuja.

Our weekly radio shows Talk Your Own and its sister show (in Hausa language) Mu Tattauna reach 19.7 million and 11 million people across Nigeria respectively, regularly featuring the voices and stories of people with disabilities.

For more information about our elections work in Nigeria, click here.

“Convince your people” an eye opening debate show in Somalia

2018-06-22T11:56:09+00:00

“We often don’t get a chance to face our leaders and ask them questions. This was a good opportunity for us,” says 24 year-old Abdirizack Walanwal from Burao in Somaliland

There is a magic about Qanci Dadkaaga as you walk into a recording. Enthusiasm fills the hall as one person sets out chairs for the audience, another runs a soundcheck, someone else replaces a broken microphone.

From managers, researchers, finance officers, producers and studio operators as well as reporters – our production team is a diverse mix of men and women - and everybody helps everybody.

It’s teamwork at its finest, a team I’m proud produces the only debate show of its kind in the country. Qanci Dadkaaga translates as “Convince Your People” and it holds true to its name, acting as a two-way bridge connecting the population to their leaders.

It helps the audience hold their leaders accountable on important issues that affect their lives and enables those in power to provide information about important projects that have been accomplished in the public interest.

Originally the programme was only made in Hargeisa City but now, in partnership with The Horn Cable TV, we’ve been recording in different regions across Somaliland since April 2016.

“Drought affects every one of us”

It was eye opening for our audiences, many of whom didn’t know they had the right to challenge leaders about how their taxes are spent, and highlighted the pressing need for people in local regions to have their voices heard by those in power.

The results were often immediate and powerful.

In Burao the TV audience and panellists debated local issues around health which resulted in the immediate closure of an illegal slaughter-house operating in a residential area and a regional official being charged with corruption.

And, the impact of drought across the country was a major talking point.

“While drought affects every one of us, we again see lorry-loads of charcoal getting into this town every day!” audience member Ayaan Ismail said at a debate in Hargeisa before asking “What are you doing about the practice of cutting down trees?”

Questions like this pushed panellists to give answers on plans to reduce the impact of the drought, promises made to help rebuild livelihoods and the enforcement of laws on deforestation.

We enabled people in Berbera, Borama, Burao, Erigavo and Gabiley in Western and Eastern regions to raise their hands to ask their local leaders about health services, taxes, jobs, public land, rebuilding livelihoods after severe drought, issues for internally displaced people, inflation and corruption.

Over 20,000 viewers on average tune in to watch Qanci Dadkaaga online and through the supporting radio programmes we’re widening the discussion and the impact it can have.

Banning plastic containers

In a recent episode of our radio discussion programe Wayaaha Nolosha (Moments of Life), participants discussed how milk vendors transport milk across the country, usually in hard to clean and unhygienic plastic containers (jerry-cans).

The local residents made many suggestions on the show such as making steel containers compulsory because they are easy to clean and scientifically approved in dairy companies around the world, banning the sale of plastic containers and enforcing police check points.

Many local milk vendors immediately started using steel containers after hearing the programme, and the local councils in Hargeisa and Mogadishu held extra meetings to discuss the points raised and to enforce new rules.

Listen to your people

We also mentored local station Radio Hargeisa which is now producing a spin-off radio programme Magal Dadkaaga (Listen to Your People) – and challenging the status quo. In one instance, a power company convinced a local minister to stop the show broadcasting for two weeks, after refusing to join a debate about the price of electricity.

But after we met the Minister of Information and highlighted the importance of accountability programmes like Magal Dadkaaga the power company agreed to join an on air debate and then reduced their prices.

“I was very happy, when I heard my voice, on Radio Hargeisa, asking questions to the leaders,” said Hargeisa resident Ali Qawdhan.

“I never thought this could be possible, especially on the state-owned station.”

Mohamed A. Gaas is Deputy Country Director for BBC Media Action in Somalia

-Qanci Dadkaaga (Convince Your People) is a BBC Media Action TV Debate Show funded by UK Aid through Mott Macdonald.

-Wayaaha Nolosha ( Moments of Life) radio programme is produced by BBC Media Action in Hargeisa and aired by the Somali service covering Puntland, South central Somalia and Somaliland, to help citizens raise issues about national development and enhancing their living standards.

-Magal Dadkaaga (Listen to Your People) is produced by Radio Hargeisa under our mentorship.

This is Our Voice: helping women press for progress in Sierra Leone

2018-03-02T18:32:25+00:00

The atmosphere in Sierra Leone right now is electric.

In just a few days, more than three million Sierra Leoneans are expected to turnout to elect a new president, parliament and local council officials across the country. And, as we enter the closing stages of campaigning, discussions are becoming increasingly animated.

From the economy to jobs, and education to social welfare - everything is a priority. Well, that's not surprising for one of the poorest countries of the world.

But as we go into the elections, campaigners and observers predict there will be a significant drop in the number of women in the next parliament. Only 13% of the total number of candidates are women, and this dismal figure comes after commitments from political parties to increase the number of women and people with disabilities in political office.

So a clear priority for me and the BBC Media Action team in Sierra Leone is the responsibility of the media to tell the stories of often-marginalized groups - to help increase their participation in our democratic processes.

We're working to reach these groups through radio and social media. Our national radio show Dis Na Wi Voice (This is Our Voice) helps women and people with disabilities face and overcome the issues they're facing - whether it's how to reach their political aspirations, or tackling the barriers to their fight for equality.

The stories from Dis Na Wi Voice are amplified on our Facebook page - the largest in the country. And quite often now we tell digital first stories. If we can't cover it on Dis Na Wi Voice we creatively tell it online.

What is important to them, is important to us.

True to it's name Dis Na Wi Voice was created to tell the the stories of women, by women, for women. The show's presenters, Eastina Massaquoi and Mariatu Kabba boldly bring women's issues to the fore, challenging stereotypes and inspiring women to take action to improve their own lives.

Everyday our team of passionate radio and social media journalists are examining the barriers preventing women and people with disability from making significant gains in their quest for representation and equality, both as prospective political candidates - and as voters.

While structural barriers remain the strongest force against women and people with disabilities seeking office in Sierra Leone, age-old myths and misconceptions also have a heavy influence on attitudes.

These entrenched beliefs won't change overnight but there are positive signs of progress. We spoke with Abu Bakarr, a listener in Kabala, northern Sierra Leone, who described how his prejudice changed after listening to Dis Na Wi Voice: "From what I have heard from the guests [on the show], I have understood that disability has nothing to do with witchcraft or a curse. If a disabled person runs for office and has all the qualifications that I am looking for, I will certainly vote them into any position in this country."

Pressing for progress

Challenges remain. Veteran campaigner Maude Peacock, spoke on Dis Na Wi Voice of her disappointment that although women made a strong statement of intent by putting themselves forward as potential candidates, they were denied party nominations. "It's sad, but we're not giving up," she said adding although women had been "shattered", they were not "battered" by the setback.

But women who are involved in politics are making it clear they are campaigning on an equal footing with male candidates. At a recent national debate BBC Media Action supported, women representing the leading political parties addressed important social and economic issues affecting the whole country, challenging traditional expectations that women only discuss women's issues.

For me and my team working on this project, we share Maude's mentality: the need to keep working, driven by the aspiration that we will one day experience shifts in attitudes that can bar women and people with disabilities from what every other Sierra Leonean enjoys-basic rights and equal opportunities.

We will keep pressing for progress.

Ed Kargbo is the Head of Production for BBC media Action in Sierra Leone

The story of Story Story: 13 years of drama making a difference in Nigeria

2017-10-20T14:25:08+00:00

After more than 13 years, over 500 episodes and even a visit from The Queen, Story Story: Voices from the Market, is taking a break. As the last episode was broadcast on Sunday, Deji Arosho looks back at the history of the popular radio drama and its impact on listeners.

If you are not one of the 17 million Nigerians who regularly listen to Story Story: Voices from the Market let me fill you in.

Back in 2003 BBC Media Action created a radio drama to reflect the lives of ordinary Nigerians and to help them understand the issues impacting their lives. Set in a fictional market and motor park – places every large town in Nigeria has - we describe it as "somewhere in West Africa, somewhere near you".

It started broadcasting on 20 radio stations. The episode on Sunday went out on 164 radio stations, making it a truly national programme. In addition the BBC World Service broadcast it across Africa and there’s been a Story Story podcast, so it’s reached an international audience too.

I joined series two as a (struggling) freelance writer and I’ve worn a lot of hats during my time with Story Story: writer, content researcher, script editor, producer, head of drama and now I’m head of production and training. Let’s just say I’ve been through the full food chain.

From the start, we wanted it to be character driven and not issue led. Mainly it is about people. All of us deal with so many things on a day to day basis – we deal with work, how our communities are run, our health and our relationships. All of this makes for wonderful, compelling drama.

Actors on the set of Story Story in 2003

Story Story is a composite of real life, so to make it as realistic as possible we recorded the drama outside on location, not in a studio. In the early days we visited markets and talked to people who interested us to understand their lives. We then turned them into characters in the drama, helping make it as real and diverse as possible.

We even welcomed HM the Queen to the set when she was on a state visit to Nigeria in 2003.

Queen Elizabeth II on the set of Story Story in 2003. (Photo credit: PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images)

Real characters, real stories, real issues.

All this combined with rigorous research helped us create universal storylines. We’ve tackled corruption, ethnic and religious conflict, electoral fraud, HIV and environmental sustainability to name just a few.

Drama gave us the chance to cover difficult issues.

At the time, the HIV story was highly sensitive but we knew we needed to talk about it. It was affecting people across Nigeria and West Africa, and halting its spread was part of the Millennium Development Goals. We wanted to talk about discrimination and condom use, so we decided that Madam Fati, a prominent character, should be HIV positive. It helped increase awareness about transmission and dispel stigma for those living with HIV. Madam Fati is still in the programme today.

As a writer, my favourite series was on the theme of environmental sustainability. The storyline was based around a rumour that there were diamonds in the area of the market place. So everyone went digging. People kept falling into holes dug by their neighbours looking for diamonds! It was funny and entertaining of course - but at a deeper level it was about how we are all responsible for our environment. If we destroy it we are destroying our lives.

Drama gave us the freedom to explore how the mining of natural resources can lead to degradation of the environment. Something which could have been difficult to cover in factual programmes because the economic mainstay of the country is from these industries.

But Story Story mirrors society to the extent you sometimes feel you are living in a documentary. When the audience considers the actions of their favourite characters in the drama it’s like a reflective moment. They see themselves in those situations and ask,"what would I do"? If they see a character they relate to making a positive change, it will motivate them. We wanted to capture that emotion and that’s what makes it so powerful.

Entertainment with impact

In the run up to the last national elections in 2015, the drama centred on local elections but reflected what was going on nationally. We encouraged the audience to think about the bigger picture and the importance of peaceful participation in democracy while maintaining our neutrality - it worked.

More than 80% of listeners said their knowledge of key governance issues increased as a result of the programme. And we know that listeners were more likely to resolve conflict using peaceful means and vote than non-listeners.

For me, encouraging peaceful dialogue in communities rather than violence has been the biggest benefit of Story Story. From the early days that was what we really wanted to achieve, and it has carried on to the present day.

I will miss Story Story and so will its millions of listeners. We all hope it will return soon.

BBC Media Action is not funded by the BBC licence fee and depends on the generous support of donors. Help support our work.

Home safe home: helping people in Nepal ‘build back better’

2017-10-12T10:44:45+00:00

On International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction we explore how Sajha Sawal – our TV current affairs show in Nepal – is helping communities displaced by the 2015 earthquakes get the support they need to rebuild safer homes in safer locations. No easy feat.

"My eyes are burning" says Mishri Lama as she prepares dinner in the temporary shelter that has been her family’s home since she was displaced by the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal in 2015.

Today they have a guest: Govinda Raj Pokharel, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal’s National Reconstruction Authority (NRA). "So much smoke. Is it the same every day?" he asks as he squats on the floor to share a meal with his hosts. "It’s the same every day because there is no window," says Mishri’s husband, Kaile Tamang Lama.

The Lama family live in one of the hillside villages of Selang in Sindupalchowk - one of the districts that was, and still is, most affected by the disaster.

Over a modest dinner of boiled maize flour and lentil soup the conversation turns to the difficulty the family – and their neighbours – face in rebuilding safe homes on their own land.

"We are scared of landslides from above the village. It will definitely fall down if there is another earthquake," says Kaile Lama.

After hearing their story, Pokharel promised to inspect the land himself the following day. He was visiting Selang with BBC Media Action to witness the hardships faced by communities who lost their homes in the earthquake. Pokharel spends the night in the Lama’s makeshift home experiencing firsthand the conditions faced by families like the Lamas.

Sajha Sawal visited Selang right after the earthquake in 2015 with the then Forest Minster who vowed that households would be moved to a less hazard-prone location. The team returned two years later to see what had changed and give people the opportunity to hold those leading the reconstruction efforts to account – and urge them to deliver on their promises.

After seeing the precarious hillside and listening to the residents’ concerns Pokharal said: "People are scared to live here. Naked eye observation shows the cliff might fall down in case of an earthquake. We should not keep our people in such places."

Promises of new land

Pressed by presenter Bidhya Chapagain to provide action as well as more assurances he pledged to find new land where the community could rebuild safely.

And meeting the commitment made on the show, Pokharel returned to Selang in June and helped identify 65 households that needed to be resettled to a safer location.

A more stable area of Selang has been identified by geologists where the displaced families are being provided help by different organizations to rebuild, making it the first resettlement plan initiated by the government.

Steps in the right direction – but still a way to go

The government also identified 700 families in settlements in Rasuwa, Dolakha, Gorkha and Ramechhap districts in need of resettlement. And even though it has been deemed unsafe by the government geologists, the villagers of Selang have still been returning to their farmlands on the brittle hillsides to plant crops.

"We had dry landslides three days ago, that nearly swept away some villagers," Ramamaya Lopchan told BBC Sajha Sawal over the phone this week.

"We have been told by the government not to build on our land we have as it is unsafe. Winter is almost here and we are still living in our temporary shelters. My children keep falling sick in this temporary shelter and hospitals are days of walk."

"We are now waiting for the government resettlement to begin so that we can build our homes in safer locations,"she added.

For Nepali communities, the challenges around rebuilding resilient and safe homes remain so our work through Sajha Sawal to help them ‘build back better’ and hold the government accountable is vital.

BBC Media Action is not funded by the BBC licence fee and depends on the generous support of donors. Help support our work.

Flying solo after training with BBC Question Time

2017-10-04T14:18:48+00:00

Ali Sharif, 27, wanted to be an airline pilot but after joining BBC Media Action’s training programme in North Africa - and with help from BBC Question Time director Rob Hopkin - he is now the director of Hiwar Mushtarak, a TV debate show increasing people’s knowledge of current affairs and holding power to account in Libya.

Ali:

When I was growing up I really wanted to be an airline pilot like my Dad. Flying fascinates me – so I gravitated towards studying aviation. But it just wasn’t meant to be. Money was tight and I couldn’t afford to complete my private pilot’s licence.

In high school I taught myself camera angles from movies and during the revolution I started working as a host on the first English language radio station in Benghazi. That was my first experience in media. I then joined BBC Media Action three years ago as a trainee – doing everything from script writing to translation but I aspired to be a director.

It paid off. Now instead of a cockpit, I have a gallery.

Learning from well-known directors, who help train young Libyan journalists made all the difference.

Shadowing Rob Hopkin on a Question Time recording in the UK helped me understand production from A-Z. He gave me training and directed episodes of Hiwar Musharak so I could learn from his methods and style of directing.

Whilst I worked as the vision mixer for the programme under another experienced director, I continued to study. And in 2016, I took the big step– directing my first episode.

It was nerve-wracking, but it was a lot of fun and I think it went well!

Now I’m very chilled when I direct, I don’t think I could be strict. I listen a lot. I learnt that being a director is not about controlling people; it’s just leading the team and trying to bring out the best in them.

We don’t record every day but I love it when we do. What I like about Hiwar Mushtarak is that it is an audience show, not a panel show. All of the questions come from the audience – really they are the stars – not the panelists.

I try to pick up every reaction, every clap, every facial expression from the audience. It’s a challenge. With about 70 people in the audience, it can be difficult to capture everything with just seven cameras.

But seeing the audience ask whatever they like and that we’re able to give them that freedom makes me proud. Just to watch Libyans debating normally with other Libyans is something – it’s a very special format.

What’s next? I do training myself now. I like mentoring people so I’m thinking of giving directing classes in Libya. But I haven’t given up on aviation. I met a professional camera operator who came to give us a class in Tunis and he is also a co-pilot with British Airways.

So maybe I can manage to do both, why not?

Rob:

Hiwar Mushtarak is based on the tried and tested formula of the BBC's own Question Time and as such it is dependent on the power of the audience to confidently confront people with power and ask searching and difficult questions. It has a crucial role to play in the evolution of a democratic system where free speech can prosper.

In my day to day work I am usually working with a team of people who know as much about TV, if not more, than me so there are lots of things that you expect to be done that are just done without having to ask or explain. Working with trainees you have to explain everything and take nothing for granted and presume nothing.

So I began with the basics. Not so much the technical details but more about team management and motivation; how long things take to organise, the importance of planning and the communication across the whole team – it’s imperative that everyone knows what is expected and required and when. The teams were enthusiastic and keen to learn.

Ali was an excellent pupil and understood why things were being asked of him and when he began to have faith in his ability, he was able to step up and lead the team confidently.

He is an able leader and it is satisfying to see Ali directing the show and now being a trainer himself.

Express yourself: asking fresh questions with Facebook Live in Nepal

2017-08-31T13:46:41+00:00

Social media is providing a platform for young voices in a new programme called Taja Sawal (Fresh Questions) in Nepal. The studio painted with murals by volunteers illustrates the vibrant and youthful approach to the new show. Pratibha Tuladhar speaks with the two new young presenters to get the full picture.

The walls are splashed with colour. A girl stands in the centre of the image, her arm extended, brandishing a pen. In one corner sits a crow - a bird regarded as a pariah in many societies. A monkey hangs above waves, clouds and local monuments. These scenes on the set of Taja Sawal (Fresh Questions) were painted by volunteers and are designed to capture the spirit of the new programme’s young audience: their concerns, queries, frustration, their eagerness to be heard, and their need to be seen.

A fresh start

True to its name, Taja Sawal offers a fresh take on things. It is a forum for Nepal’s youth to share their perspectives on a host of issues, including the education system, outward migration, unemployment, and corruption. There are, otherwise, few opportunities for young people to chat about these things in public.

Taja Sawal grew out of our long-running discussion programme Sajha Sawal (Common Questions)."We had always wanted to do something new to engage more with the young audience we have online - they are the most active population on the Sajha Sawal Facebook page," says Dipak Bhattarai, the editor. "We did a pilot Facebook Live show which was received very well last year."

The voice of the youth

We approached two vibrant young people Bivek Rai and Sujita Chaudhary to present the show - both are under 20. Bivek was working as a member of Sajha Sawal’s production staff and Sujita Chaudhary – an engineering student – was spotted when she asked a tough question during a Sajha Sawal episode about politicians meddling in the running of colleges.

The two presenters come from quite different backgrounds. Bivek, born in Udaypur district of eastern Nepal, comes from an indigenous ethnic group, while Sujita is from the Madheshi community, from the plains of Tarai. "I always wanted to do something like standing up for something, as I’m known for being a rebel," says Sujita. "Presenting Taja Sawal makes me feel like I finally have a platform to not just voice my own opinions but also those of others like me."

"It’s a different kind of programme because young people hardly get a chance to discuss concepts like federalism", adds Bivek. "Sujita and I basically act as moderators, but we also get chance to learn things and ask our questions in the programme when we converse with the guests and participants. And then there’s interaction with Facebook friends."

Presenters, participants and guests sit around in a semi-circle discuss subjects ranging from music and poetry to the newly-elected local representatives. The tone of the show is informal and guests freely talk about personal as well as professional issues. "It’s a free-thinking platform, where there are no boundaries. And that means boosting confidence while allowing young people to talk about their issues and increase understanding about politics," adds Bivek.

"It’s about the connection. When both presenter and the guest are young, it makes a difference."

Doing it differently

And because it is streamed live on Facebook, audience members get a chance to interact.

"Politics should be broken down and simplified. That’s why a show like this is important. Instead of just talking politics and parties, the young people need an explanation and chances to interact with leaders," says Anita Adhikari, a student, who has been a regular viewer and has posted questions to the show.

"Facebook Lives have been used by a number of forums and media organisations, and done quite at random. But Taja Sawal is entertaining and educational as well, which is why it draws someone like me to it," she adds.

Six episodes in, the viewing figures show how Taja Sawal’s popularity has grown. The latest Facebook Live currently has 164,000 views, more than doubling the online audience of the first programme.

The six Taja Sawal episodes have been viewed a total of more than 661,000 times so far– with engagement and audience figures increasing all the time.

Hosting a show together is not always easy, especially a live show. "It’s is an experiment for all of us, even our audience has not tasted such a programme before," says co-host Sujita "but times are constantly changing and I think we have a programme that has a future."

Watch this space.

BBC Media Action is not funded by the BBC licence fee and depends on the generous support of donors. Help support our work here.

No answers without questions: a decade of debate in Nepal

2017-07-03T14:51:24+00:00

As Sajha Sawal broadcasts its 500th episode, the team members reflect on what the programme means to the Nepali audience – and them.

“Who will answer my questions? When will we experience respite? We’ve been quiet for a long time. Speak up. Change begins with you.”

These are words from the song composed by a group of young Sajha Sawal viewers. It’s a song about aspiring for a better future. Week after week our national television and radio debate programme has been a platform for people from all communities in Nepal to voice their hopes and urge the country’s leaders to make them a reality.

From the very beginning – about ten years and 500 episodes ago – Sajha Sawal broke new ground and got people talking.

“I clearly remember the first recording of Sajha Sawal in Biratnagar in 2007”, says senior producer Bhuwan Timilsina. “We created some ripples in the local media because we recorded with the sitting prime minister, the late Girija Prasad Koirala. With this first show, we set a precedent because it was the first time a prime minister had sat before the public, answering their questions directly.”

The episode was an engaging discussion on the future path of a country that had just stepped out of a decade-long civil war. People were anxious and questioned the prime minister for more than an hour.

Former presenter of Sajha Sawal, Narayan Shrestha, interviews panellists in Sindhuli district.

Sajha Sawal began life primarily as a radio programme, although the first three episodes were also broadcast on a private TV station - Kantipur Television. Before long they showed interest in broadcasting every programme and our 17th episode marked the start of a partnership that has seen Sajha Sawal broadcast on both TV and radio ever since.

The programme has been funded by a range of donors since it began: the United Nations Development Programme; the Norwegian Embassy in Nepal; the Australian Embassy in Nepal; the UK’s Department for International Development; and, currently, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. It has always been editorially independent with the BBC values of fairness and impartiality at its heart.

Over the years, the programme has been the first to cover crucial issues, including those faced by highly marginalised, rural communities in Nepal and Nepalis living abroad in deplorable conditions as migrant workers.

Sajha Sawal has recorded programmes in all 75 districts of Nepal, ensuring audiences at recordings are diverse and represent the voices of all communities rather than simply giving airtime to popular, media- savvy contributors.

The residents of Humla District at the recording of Sajha Sawal - the 75th district covered by the programme.

The team travels, from district to district, village to village, gathering evidence in people’s voices, ensuring people from all backgrounds have space to raise their queries directly with those governing the country.

The voices of the Musahar community, considered ‘untouchable’ and therefore discriminated against, and members of the LGBTI community were heard for the first time on Sajha Sawal.

Programme Editor Dipak Bhattarai says this is what makes the programme stand out in the Nepali media market and makes it such a powerful way to make those in authority accountable. “I believe in questions. When you stop questioning there will be no transparency in democracy. So, people need to keep asking questions”, he adds.

Finding a diverse audience for the show is always a challenge says audience recruiter Sita BK: “But when the audience comes to you, they come to you with trust. And it becomes our job to protect that trust.”

Our presenter Bidhya Chapagain has interviewed Nepal’s first women president and the first woman Chief Justice— a rarity in Nepal’s journalism and political sector, which is largely male-dominated.

As a woman Bidhya has made it possible for other women to speak about issues they would not have felt able to with a male presenter. In 2015, the team walked two days to arrive at a remote village in Jajarkot district. She soon found herself sitting in the midst of around 15 women, who started talking to her about uterine prolapse. Every single one of them was a sufferer and they gravitated toward Bidhya with their stories. And it was the first time they had met a journalist! “Sometimes, it moves me to see how nervous and excited people are when they are asking questions. It is a very big deal for marginalised communities and women, who have never had such a chance before. But they muster the courage and you know that it means people seek change,” says Bidhya.

Bidhya Chapagain listening to women to discuss the issues they wouldn't be able to with a male presenter

The production team has faced many challenges over the years but creating an opportunity for ordinary people to get their voices heard has been hugely rewarding. “In the mountains, we have had to scrape snow off entire slopes, just ahead of the recording. In some districts, I remember waking up in tents with frozen fingers in the morning and thinking, this is why it is so important that I record the voices from these areas,” says the sound technician, Prakash Ghimire.

The opportunity to live among the earthquake-affected communities in Sindupalchowk was an opportunity to experience people’s frustration in the aftermath of the earthquake, but also see that suffering comes with hope. After the broadcast of the episode, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Reconstruction Authority, Govinda Raj Pokharel who was traveling with the team, took steps to make arrangements to resettle the community to a safer building location. And former minister, Agni Sapkota, who had promised on the programme, to organise a health camp in the region, went on to keep his words.

Just like the first episode, the 500th episode gave a mixed audience group a platform to seek answers from the prime minister – this time, Sher Bahadur Deuba.

People raise hands as Bidhya Chapagain conducts the 500th episode of Sajha Sawal with Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, at the prime minister's official residence.

Hands are still being raised and people still have plenty of questions to dart at the authorities.

Social media tips from Doctor Who help launch new Palestinian youth drama

2017-03-30T08:00:00+00:00

Jose Vila, social media manager for Doctor Who on advising BBC Media Action’s new TV drama in the Palestinian Territories.

Life’s full of surprises. I was sitting at my desk in London on a grey afternoon when I received an unexpected email. BBC Media Action required my experience managing social media for Doctor Who to help them launch a new youth TV drama in the Palestinian Territories. I was eager to help.

Dandara is an expression used by Palestinian youth that roughly translates as ‘constructive chaos or confusion that brings hope’. Far from the sci-fi world of the TARDIS and Daleks, the online drama’s six-minute episodes tackle very real issues affecting young people in the Palestinian Territories - conflict, unemployment, housing, disability and relationships. Despite their problems, the central characters are entrepreneurial, determined and ambitious. They are striving for a better future.

Dandara, Episode 1

A punchy, start-up drama

My mission: to provide a ‘crash course’ on social media for the Dandara production team, taking my experience of managing social media for a global brand with millions of followers – and applying it to a punchy start-up drama in the Palestinian Territories.

I worked with Hassan Jaddeh, a fellow social media trainer with in-depth knowledge of the audience. A self-starter, Hassan is the perfect example of the role models that Dandara aims to portray. Dissatisfied with the social media analysis available in the Palestinian Territories, he took it upon himself to launch his own social media agency and hasn't looked back since.

“For Palestinian youth, social media is the only platform to express themselves freely,” says Hassan. “Most young people are on Facebook…social media linked to the drama will help provide a space for discussion, and hopefully help encourage greater tolerance and understanding between young Palestinians living different lives in Gaza and the West Bank.”

Social buzz

The Dandara production team, scriptwriters, journalists, editors and camera crew, arrived at the training early and were keen to get started. They had a show to launch and wanted to create and maintain a social buzz around it. Team members focused on film production learned the importance of putting the key moment into the first five seconds of a promotional video, adding an ‘end-card’ with a call to action (to get people subscribing to your channel or watching more of your films), and including subtitles for people watching on their phone without sound. Those working on scriptwriting concentrated on the importance of hashtags, succinct copy and taglines to help draw in the audience and generate conversation.

Two actresses from Dandara relaxing on set

We also discussed the importance of creating a detailed plan that shows the scale of the social media campaign, identifies who will deliver what – from trailers and teasers to the images and GIFs – and when. This is one the most obvious, but often overlooked aspects of a social media campaign – tools which have served me well when planning the launch of the latest series of Doctor Who.

When I met with Tawfiq Abu Wael, the Supervising Director of the drama on my second day, I asked him what sentence encapsulated the idea of the series. In my efforts to better understand the project, I wanted to have a tagline that I could refer to while discussing the social media campaign with the team. Tawfiq said “Dandara means living in hope under the shadow of the wall. It may be difficult, but we don't give up”. These words still echo in my head. Like Doctor Who, Dandara aims to entertain – but it also aims to inspire young Palestinians to dream of a better future.

We are not funded by the BBC licence fee and depend on the generous support of donors. Help support our work.

Going global with Facebook Live

2016-12-22T09:00:00+00:00

Hundreds of thousands of people across the world joined our first two Facebook Lives from Nepal, grabbing the opportunity to question an inspiring group of female personalities and politicians.

Usually when I present the political debate show, Sajha Sawal (Common Questions), a sea of faces look back from a packed studio floor, ready to ask tough questions of a panel of public figures and politicians.

This time, the studio was almost empty. Audience members in their tens of thousands were instead joining the debate on Facebook Live – while catching a lift to work, on their lunch break or relaxing at home.

The debates, which featured Deepa Shree Niraula, a much loved actress and director, and two prominent female politicians, Shanta Chaudhary and Renu Chand, aimed to inspire more women to engage in politics and social issues as part of the BBC 100 Women season.

I never thought I’d check Facebook so much during a live broadcast, yet in this case, the urge was irresistible. Hundreds of comments, thumbs-up and smiley emoji faces were popping up on the screen in front of me.

Bidhya Chapagain presents a Sajha Sawal 'Facebook Live' featuring politicians, Shanta Chaudhary and Renu Chand

The debates were watched a total of 225,000 times, with the audience submitting over 1,000 questions – covering everything from party politics and domestic violence to career advice. For the first time, fans of our 1.7m-strong Facebook page living in places as far apart as Dubai, Malaysia, South Korea, the UK, US and Canada were able to participate live in the debate.

It provided a deeply personal glimpse into the lives of the panellists too.

Shanta Chaudhary was just eight years old when her parents sold her into bonded labour, forcing her to scrub, cook and sweep for 19 hours a day in a stranger’s home. Determined to protect others from the same experience, Shanta became an activist and joined parliament in 2008 to become one of Nepal’s most influential politicians.

Shanta told the audience that on entering parliament, she checked her first pay check again and again. It was the first time she’d been able to fully afford to feed and clothe her children. She went on to describe how hurt she felt when people called her “the illiterate politician” mocking her inability to read and write. In defiance of their jibes, she returned to ‘school’ and has now written an autobiography about her journey from slavery to politics.

Watch Shanta Chaudhary and Renu Chand on Facebook Live

There was laughter too. When one Facebook user asked Deepa Shree Niraula about her educational qualifications, the actress said that although she hadn’t yet gone to university, she was studying for a “bachelor’s degree in life”.

Watch Deepa Shree Niraula on Facebook Live

The response to our first ever online broadcasts was incredible. The informality of the platform really helped the panellists to relax and speak their mind.

Best of all it allowed Sajha Sawal to reach a broader audience. We were truly able to go global – engaging with Nepalese people working abroad with limited access to Nepali TV and radio.

The Facebook Live’s were produced to coincide with the BBC’s 100 Women season. We are not funded by the BBC’s licence fee and depend on the generous support of donors. Help support our work.

“I will be there even if my bodyguards refuse to accompany me.”

2016-10-03T09:56:54+00:00

Members of the Open Jirga audience during a recording

Scores of people were killed or injured early last month when twin bomb blasts hit Kabul and armed assailants attacked the buildings housing an international charity.

We were due to record an episode of our discussion show Open Jirga the next day on the theme of ‘empowered women, prosperous Afghanistan’. Given the uncertainty of the security situation, our producers worried whether anyone would attend. The chances of the recording going ahead seemed slim.

Staff, whose day started at 5am, faced huge logistical challenges. They needed to ferry members of the studio audience, who were staying in a hotel, safely through the city to Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) - the country’s national broadcaster. Kabul’s roads were completely blocked by a tight security cordon. Fighting was still going on and security forces had cordoned off large areas of the city.

Two members of the team decided to set out on foot, guiding a small group through back streets to the studio. It took them about an hour to negotiate their way through various check-points. A second group took another route and by 9am most of the crew and audience had arrived safely.

The presenter of Open Jirga, Daud Junbish, had abandoned his car after an hour of trying to get through the gridlocked traffic. On the way, he spent a good degree of time planning for a number of different scenarios: what if there’s only a small audience? What if all or some of the panellists can’t make it? His thoughts were constantly interrupted by the sound of gunfire from the area near the charity whose offices were the site of the attack. He made it to RTA soon after 9am and went into planning mode with those who had already arrived.

Daud Junbish facilitates an all female panel for Open Jirga

No matter what

Soon after this, the producer of Open Jirga, hesitantly picked up the phone to check if members of the all-female panel would brave the perilous journey. Delbar Nazari, Minister of Women’s Affairs, gave an energetic and encouraging response, saying: “I will be there even if my bodyguards refuse to accompany me”

She was as good as her word – arriving an hour before the show was due to start and chatting to female members of the audience. Nasrin Oryakhil, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, did the same and arrived way ahead of schedule. At this stage, getting a full panel looked closer to reality. The two other panellists, Hasina Safi (Director of the Afghan Women’s Network) and Sima Joyinda (former governor of the Ghor province in Western Afghanistan) arrived shortly after.

Disbar Nazari with a member of the audience ahead of recording

Equality between men and women

Incredibly, despite ongoing fighting in the centre of Kabul, the recording started five minutes ahead of schedule. The opening credits rolled and a woman stood up in front of a full audience to ask the first question: “'Why, after so much effort, are women in Afghanistan still not equal to men?"

The emotions among the team members at this moment cannot be described. What had seemed impossible was made possible thanks to the sheer determination, dedication and commitment of the Open Jirga team, the audience and the panel. The experience made us more hopeful about the future of Afghanistan. It showed that, despite the security challenges, men and women are more than willing to demonstrate exceptional courage and commitment to be able to discuss issues of national importance on national TV.

Related links

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I have 140 friends, and I speak to them nearly every day

2016-09-26T08:00:00+00:00

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, I had a pen pal far away in Nice, France. I was always excited to receive letters from her – I remember we bonded over photos of our home towns and discussions about our pets. She had dogs, while I had a parrot and 40 pigeons.

I’m older now, and have a daughter of my own whom I hope will have pen pals soon. But just because I’m an adult doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy being in touch with people far away. In fact, I do it daily as part of my work – although my pals are all in Nigeria, and mobile calls and text messages have replaced pen, paper and stamps.

I’m part of the monitoring team for BBC Media Action in Nigeria. Currently, we have over 195 partner radio stations and our six shows are broadcast more than 490 times each week. To gather feedback on all our programming, my colleagues and I rely on a group of independent monitors – or as I like to think of them, my mobile pals.

A collage of BBC Media Action's independent monitors across Nigeria - by Caroline Chukwura

Independent what?

Independent monitors are audience members from different walks of life who voluntarily listen to our programmes and give us feedback to help us improve our content. We recruit them from among the people who text us independently with comments about the programmes. We then call them back to ask if they would like to help improve the programme they already love.

Uchendu Zeripher – a visually impaired man from Imo State – has been a fan of Story Story for over a decade. The long-running soap-opera helps people in Nigeria know more about their rights.

“Being an independent monitor helps me to be part of Story Story,” says Uchendu, who has monitored for us for over four years.

My colleagues and I are on the phone with our 140 monitors nearly every day. Their valuable feedback gives us insight into established shows but also helps us develop new content.

We recently tried out a new idea for our discussion programme Talk Your Own – Make Naija Better called the “village postcard”. In it, we focus on the daily lives of rural Nigerians, spotlighting anything from agriculture and cooking to traditional birth attendants. We quickly received a positive reaction from our independent monitors, which spurred us to continue in this direction.

Life-saving advice

Sometimes our monitors show us how our programmes have affected their own lives. Wasila Mohammad Inuwa, a 28-year-old from Kano State listens to Ya Take Ne Arewa, our radio show aimed at boosting the health of mothers and their children. Some of our episodes explain how to prevent and treat diarrhoea.

“I used ORS (oral rehydration solution) and zinc to save my little nephew’s life when he [had severe diarrhoea] at night”, Wasila recently told me. Laughing happily at the other end of the line, Wasila added, “now my brother’s wife is a serious fan of Ya Take Ne Arewa [too].”

Wasila Mohammad Inuwa, an independent monitor for BBC Media Action, Nigeria.

Staying in touch with our 140 monitors across Nigeria helps me realise how much our programmes are listened to and loved by audiences – and the impact our work is having on people’s lives. And, just like when I was a kid learning about France from my pen pal, talking to monitors like Uchendu from Imo State or Wasila from Kano State helps me better understand my own country too.