Je Nifanyeje is part of the Tanzania Health Project which is funded by USAID Tanzania and supported by VOA Swahili. Je Nifanyeje’s mission is to help the youth make informed and important decisions to improve their social and physical health. In English, “Je Nifanyeje” means, “What shall I do.” This thirty minute radio program teaches its young audience, particularly females, how to live healthy lives while gaining the confidence to assert themselves when making difficult decisions. This program distinguishes itself from other programs by explaining strategies for young women to develop the metal capacity and toughness to handle a variety of issues.
Je Nifanyeje focuses primarily on women because the culture forces them to be less assertive, and they are not empowered to become agents of change. These social norms prevent young girls from learning skills to protect themselves from risky social behaviors. This program gives the opportunity for women’s voices to be heard.
One example is communicating about birth control. Many sexually active girls know that condoms offer protection from sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy. However, many are inhibited and unable to speak to their partner about their concerns. Through these programs, young women develop effective communication skills for speaking with their partner about using birth control.
One of the Je Nifanyeje stringers reporting on an important issue she feels is endangering her community
The radio program is split into four segments; health news, a panel discussion, a drama, and a personal story shared by a young girl. The health news segment presents new information, health risks and scientific discoveries the most relevant to the region.
Stringers record their panel discussion and enjoy their opportunity to have a voice.
One panel discussion focused on how the lack of school buses forces students to take city buses to school. This creates an opportunity for older men in the community target young girls by offering rides and subsequently taking advantage of them. This situation often leads to trans-generational intercourse, early marriage and unplanned pregnancy. Girls who become pregnant before their bodies have fully matured often develop a severe medical condition known as an obstetric fistula.
After the stringers discuss the issues, the show brings on an expert opinion (doctor, social worker, etc…) to highlight facts. In the second part of this segment, “Ask the doctor,” the stringers have a special opportunity to speak with a professional, and ask questions that benefit them and their audience. This dialogue is extremely candid, ensuring the listeners understand the full context, risks, and potential consequences of the issues.The next segment is a radio drama. Many of the programs listeners can relate and benefit from the stories told in this segment. The piece demonstrates how to handle the situation to produce a positive outcome.
One show presented a mother who stubbornly chose not to provide mosquito nets to protect her children from malaria, even though her daughter knew where to get them for free, locally. In the drama, the young girl explained the importance of the nets to her mother and convinced her to provide them for the family.
One girl shared the story of her unplanned pregnancy at age fifteen. Put under pressure by her partner, she had an abortion. The procedure was performed improperly and she lost her ability to produce children.
“Kila mtu ana hadithi yake”- Everyone has their own story
This quote was taken from Mwamoyo Hamza, Chief of the Swahili Service at VOA. Mwamoyo believes the concrete, and sometimes harsh, reality of these stories is essential to the show and its listeners. By embracing the lives of the young women impacted by and relate to the issues the discussed on the show, Je Nifanyeje recognizes that everyone has their own story and seeks to provide them a way to share it for themselves and for the community.
The funding for these programs provides recording equipment needed to produce the show, laptops to prepare and transmit the show, and wide internet access in order for the stringers to research stories and issues. The stringers are trained how to effectively report health and social issues, in addition to the technical training they receive necessary to operate the equipment.
Four citizen journalists learn effective broadcasting techniques in a training session with Mwamoyo Hamza. In a previous interview Mwamoyo said, “We don’t only report an event: instead, we always think about why this event happened. This has more meaning than just the event itself.”
At town hall meetings, teens get the chance to speak to their peers and others in their community about their concerns, struggles, and achievements. Through these meetings, these young women are empowered and able to contribute to the success of their community.
The second town meeting was held May 24that a high school in Bagamoyo. Approximately one hundred high school and secondary school students attended the event. The meeting focused on early marriage. This topic has significant health consequences and is extremely prevalent amongst teens 13-18 years old. Although many of the issues the students discuss are geared toward helping young women, teen boys seek the benefits of attending the meetings, too.
Students excited to learn, wait eagerly for the town hall meeting to begin. This forum for discussion gives these students a voice and a safe place to express themselves.
Since January 25th, 2012, Je Nifanyeje has been broadcasting on various radio stations throughout Tanzania. The show’s two affiliates, RFA Tanzania and Radio Mlimani, air a live new show during the weekend, with repeated broadcasts during the week. Anyone with internet connectivity can also stream the show through the program’s website. The show has an active Facebook page which has received extensive positive feedback from listeners and even messages from people in other countries asking for similar programs to air in their country.
Data collection on the popularity and number of program listeners is in progress. It has only been six months since the show aired, but quantitative and qualitative audience research on the program’s impact will begin soon. This highlights BBG’s new partnership with Gallup. BBG plans to utilize this industry leading research organization to better serve their audiences and U.S. foreign policy goals.
The Je Nifanyeje Facebook page is used for listeners to give feedback and connect with the programs other listeners.
The Swahili service is exploring the opportunity of using marketing and promotional tools to increase audience interest, perhaps a concert or football game, and promoting the affiliations between local radio and VOA. They also hope to provide mobile devices to enable stingers to create programs on the spot to reach rural areas and hard to reach audiences
EmoticonEmoticon