MRCG DISSEMINATES RADIO DRAMA SERIES IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES
The Media Reform Coordinating group has disseminated radio drama series produced by Premier Media to increase community awareness on climate risks awareness
and engagement to ensure behavior change in six coastal communities. The public outreach program targeted and increased the awareness of hundreds of residents of Lakka, Hamilton, Tombo, Conakry Dee, Shenge and Turtle Island through the radio drama series as the messages were in their own local languages. Episodes 26, 27, 30, 31 were played in Krio, Temne, and Shebro in the different coastal communities considering the tribe that dominates in the communities.
“The essence of such engagement is that it provides a platform for you to get first-hand information on climate risks and as well for you to raise your concerns and make recommendations as the MRCG would present those points to the UNDP for their intervention where necessary. This session will create more awareness on climate risks awareness to complement the climate change video documentaries screened in this community some times last year. Be united and work with the adaptation plan for the interest of your children,” stated Dr Sowa, Nationa Coordinator of the MRCG in the MRCG engagement in Tombo.
The MRCG targeted strategic places in the communities including market places, parks, community fields and centers. These places are the heart of the communities that host hundreds of people around during the day. The drama series touched on the causes of climate change, effects and possible solutions to address the issue of climate change After the outdoor outreach in parks, market places, fields and wharfs, 45 prominent members of each of the communities were further engaged across the six communities. These individuals resonated with the messages from the radio drama series played in their local languages as they explained what they understood from the radio drama series and the lessons learnt.
“On behalf of my community, let me thank the MRCG and UNDP for their efforts in raising our awareness on climate change risks. The MRCG is now a household name to the people of Conakry Dee as the public engagements over the months have helped us greatly as our awareness on climate risks have been increased which prompted us to put mechanisms in place to address some of the climate change issues in our community. However, let me raise this concern to government that the banking of water around the wharfs of Freetown has been affecting us greatly as that forces the water to move with high waves that cannot be stopped by any form of banking and at the end, our community gets destroyed. Dirt thrown in the sea also ends at our shores. I am calling on government to put a stop to river banking and throwing of dirt in the sea so as to ease our suffering of flooding,” explained Conakry Dee Town Chief, Pa Adekalie S. Sumah. Conakry Dee town chief, Pa Adekalie S. Sumah. The radio drama series were disseminated in Conakry Dee on the 26th October; Tombo on the 27th October; Hamilton on the 28th October; Lakka on the 29th October; Shenge on the 1st November, and Turtle Island on the 3rd November 2020.
Dr Sowa, National Coordinator of the MRCG