NEWS: Communication for Development update from Somalia

Communication for Development update?

Journalists trained:

 

Forty five journalists were recently trained to provide better coverage of issues related to polio eradication. The journalists were from all parts of Somalia and the Somali region of Ethiopia. The training was timed to precede the next two mass polio vaccination campaigns across the Horn of Africa, starting on 3 November and 3 December 2006 respectively. The training took place over a three-day period in Hargeisa, capital of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland Somalia had been polio-free since 2002 and became re-infected in 2005 by virus reportedly from Yemen.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF organized the workshop to provide journalists with facts for dissemination to the public to help in polio prevention and control, along with numerous ideas for news stories and features. Participants included staff of the Somali service of the British Broadcasting Corporation led by Yusuf Garaad, Head of the Somali Service, as well as Mogadishu-based correspondent, Osman Hassan Barise, better known as the ?most popular man in Somalia?.

"Polio is a hugely important issue for our audiences," said Yusuf Garaad. "The BBC will continue to broadcast objective and reliable information about polio eradication. Thanks to the information presented at this workshop, our programming will be even more relevant."

Story illustration:

 

Work on the illustrated story character ?Sara? continued in the effort to develop the Somali storyline through a character called ?Zahra?. Sara is a character created by UNICEF in Eastern and Southern Africa to highlight issues of importance for the protection and improvement of the rights of the girl child. The character aims to help young girls make the transition to adulthood.

School enrolment:

A radio drama was produced to help in campaigning for enrolment of children in schools. The broadcast commenced through Baidoa radio.

 

SOURCE: Somalia Monthly Review

 

If yoou have questions about the UNICEF Somalia Monthly Review please contact:
Denise Shepherd-Johnson, Communication Officer
E-mail: dshepherdjohnson@unicef.org

OR

 

Robert Kihara, Assistant Communication Officer.
E-mail: rkihara@unicef.org

Tel: 254-2-7623958/ 7623950/7623862/ 7623959/350410

Fax: 254-2-520640/ 7623965

Credit for majority of content in this report goes to UNICEF staff in Somalia.
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Chris Schuepp
Young People's Media Network - Coordinator

Youth Media Consulting GbR
c/o ECMC (European Centre for Media Competence)
Bergstr. 8 / 11th floor
D-45770 Marl - Germany

Tel./Fax: +49 2365 502480
Mobile: +49 176 23107083
Email: cschuepp@unicef.org
URL: www.unicef.org/magic
Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/youthful-media

The YPMN is supported by UNICEF and hosted by the ECMC.

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