In the Geita region in northern Tanzania, violence against children and women is commonplace. In regular radio broadcasts, our partner organization Nelico talks about gender-based violence and thus launches a public discussion on the subject.
Sascha Tankerville / Samuel Rink
It is stuffy and cramped in the studio of Storm FM, the local radio station in the Geita region of northern Tanzania. On this day, eight women, girls and boys are packed tightly together to talk about their experiences of gender-based violence (GBV). It is a broadcast by our partner organization Nelico (New Light Children Center Organization).
17-year-old Amidha Kovu* is telling us her story. She used to live with her siblings in very poor conditions in the countryside. One day, she was raped in the forest where she regularly looked for firewood to earn some money. Her siblings were able to escape and get help. At the hospital in Geita, she contacted the Nelicos Help Line for victims, which she had heard about on the radio.
Nelico helped her to overcome the trauma and bring charges against the perpetrator. He is now in prison. “Now I live in a boarding school where I can finish school,” says Amidha Kovu. She is more determined than ever not to let it get her down.
Information and advice close to the public
Nelico’s radio show regularly brings together social workers, police officers, lawyers, politicians and survivors to talk about gender-based violence. The audience can report on their own experiences or ask questions via telephone or social media.
Some people want to know what to do in the event of an attack or how to support a victim. Others want to know what exactly is meant by gender-based violence or how the problem affects Tanzania’s development.
125,000 listeners with great interest
The program is well received. “We receive a lot of calls, sometimes we can hardly keep up with answering them,” reports Nelico Director Paulina Alexander. Sometimes listeners only realize that they themselves are affected by the programme.
The broadcasts are an important tool for Nelico, as many people do not have access to the Internet. But almost everyone listens to the radio. In rural areas, people take the radio with them to the fields and listen to the broadcasts while they work. As a result, Nelico potentially reaches around 125,000 listeners per broadcast. This includes people who, like Amidha Kovu, need help after an act of violence.
*Name changed
