Radio soap for health education: lessons learnt by Health Unlimited Rwanda 1997-2003

This short paper reports on the experience of using radio in Rwanda as a tool for disseminating sexual and reproductive health information.

A Government of Rwanda survey of literacy rates showed that 47.3% of the population over six years old knew neither how to read nor write. 58% of this figure comprised women and girls. Using aural media is the main way to disseminate health information. In Rwanda, for every television, there are 101 radios, making it the dominant media in the country. Health Unlimited decided to use the power of radio to cross gender, generational, geographical and literacy barriers. In 1998, they set out to build the capacity of local producers to make high quality radio programmes to broadcast to the region on the BBC World Service’s Africa Great Lakes Service and on Radio Rwanda.

Urunana (‘Hand in Hand’) went on air in 1999 as a Kinyarwanda radio soap opera, fully researched, written and produced in Rwanda. It weaves sexual and reproductive health issues into compelling storylines and has stimulated discussion of sensitive subjects which are little discussed in Rwandan families, resulting in widespread ignorance. The content is audience-led with researchers visiting audience groups in Rwandan villages to chat to listeners about their health concerns. The more often a particular topic comes up, the more airtime it is given.

The experience showed the importance of:

Adapting soap opera to the rural environment
Keeping listeners’ listening: ensuring that a cliffhanger encourages people to tune in for the following episode
Partnership for a range of viewpoints: Working in partnership is important for influencing the wider media environment as well as for validating the programme’s content.

Publisher: Health Unlimited
Year of Publication: 2003