Report on Public Campaigns: Time To Learn Radio Programs

The focus of these programs was to encourage and instruct parents on how they can be more involved in their children's education, particularly literacy in local language. The radio programs conveyed the message using short dramas, lectures, and dialogues. For example, in some episodes, a chief or a head teacher addresses a community to sensitize parents on the importance of literacy, while in others, two mothers exchange ideas on how they can get involved with helping their children practice reading. The public campaign consisted of eight radio episodes, each with a unique theme and message. Episode 1 featured two mothers discussing how they help their child read at home and recognizing that it is not solely the teacher's responsibility to teach and help with reading. Episode 2 had a chief addressing a village community and encouraging them to be more involved in their children's education. Episode 3 showed parents listening to a child read out loud and discussing the importance of knowing how to read at a young age. Episode 4 featured a child unable to read and make proper sounds, with a parent talking about how it is the parent's responsibility to assist with reading. Episode 5 interviewed people and questioned whether their children know how to read or not and in what ways this can be improved. Episode 6 had two mothers talking about the books and reading materials they try to provide for their children. Episode 7 showed a pupil trying to skip classes, caught by his mother, who eventually decides to be more aware of her child's attendance record. Episode 8 had a head teacher addressing parents and encouraging them to be more involved in their children's schoolwork and giving instructions on how to help with reading. The radio programs were broadcast in all ten provinces of Zambia, each translated into the seven official languages, including Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga, Lozi, Luvale, Kaonde, and Lunda. Translating the episodes into the official seven Zambian languages allowed the programs to reach a larger audience. The programs were initially developed in late 2014 but were later edited and aligned with the focus of the project. After the radio programs were translated from English, Time To Learn contacted various radio stations throughout the nation to produce and record the radio episodes in the prevalent local languages in 2016. Time To Learn worked with smaller community radio stations within the different provinces to ensure the programs would be well received. A total of ten radio stations, of which nine are privately owned community stations, were able to provide their services to Time To Learn over the course of the year. The programs were played in the appropriate local language for participants to listen and analyze the different episodes. The overall feedback was useful, leading to different discussions about literacy in private households. Without biasing the discussions, Time To Learn was able to listen to parents give each other ideas on how they best support their children with reading. Several radio stations aired multiple emissions of the programs dependent on the completion of said programs in the various languages. Focusing on September's International Literacy month, Time To Learn aimed to broadcast all programs in all provinces to raise as much awareness as possible on literacy and how communities are able to support each other. The programs were broadcast in various provinces, including Lusaka, Muchinga, Central, Luapula, Northern, Western, Southern, Northwestern, Copperbelt, and Eastern. Each province had its own radio station that aired the programs, including Yatsani Radio, Mpika FM, Kabwe News Centre, Radio Bangwela Community Station, Radio Mano, Radio Lyambai, Mosi-O-Tunya Radio, Radio 1 ZNBC, Ichengelo Radio, and Breeze FM. The public campaign was successful in reaching and involving communities in literacy in local language. Initial feedback from listening groups indicated the value of the programs and the desire for families to be involved in literacy. Furthermore, even after the project's completion of airing the programs, several radio stations expressed interest in keeping the programs on file with the intention of airing them again while others donated free airtime and embedded the programs in their own programming.