Organization: Bangladesh NGS Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)
Country-Bangladesh
Executive Summary
COVID-19 has disrupted the lives and livelihoods of the communities globally and Bangladesh, the most densely populated developing country has been facing the same where 1,262 people live in per square kilometer, limited knowledge, and scare health care services. The situation was deteriorating rapidly and found no way to manage it. The people were getting frightened and confused by fake news, rumor, misinformation, and disinformation. Some social media users were also uploading mislead information and rumors in their accounts. Thus, this issue becomes a big concern which has been demotivating the communities easily.
The government shut down the educational institutions, industries, and offices to keep people at home. Besides, restricted all types of gatherings, unnecessary movement, avoiding mass gathering, shuttered sports, cultural and religious events, maintain “social distance, wear a mask, “handwash” and encouraged people to stay at home quarantine (14 days) to curb the spread.
In March 2020, considering the situation, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) initiated a campaign program through community radios to mobilize the communities by capacity building of the radio broadcasters and animating CSOs, Government officials, health service providers, community leaders, public representatives, media, and local market to take collective efforts. The campaign aimed to upgrade the program developing skills of the broadcasters and to keep peoples’ daily life and livelihood functional. Hence, BNNRC mobilized and oriented the broadcasters of 18 community radios, organized skills development training virtually, and developed program outlines under the guidelines of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), WHO and CDC.
Radios developed and broadcasted Public Service Announcements (PSA), radio spots, songs, interviews of service providers and victims, radio magazine and live phone-in with a doctor where audiences get the opportunity to raise their issues, queries and questions to the doctor. The programs cover scientific explanation of COVID – 19 pandemic, symptoms, precautionary steps, treatment, available services & supports, etc. The program becomes one of the most popular ones and radios become a reliable source of information to the rural communities.
BNNRC has been providing support for upgrading the skills on program development and broadcast, monitor the situation centrally, explore and provide supports, and mobilized the radios to continue the campaign. A total of 90 trained broadcasters along with 1000 volunteers are now capable and confident enough to develop and broadcast contents and programs on COVID – 19. The program connects 8 million audiences in rural Bangladesh and engage to prevent COVID -19 pandemic collectively.
Partnership:
Since 2010, BNNRC has been providing support to the community radios in the capacity building of the broadcasters and station management. 18 Community Radios are participating in the project implementation located in 18 different locations in Bangladesh. The details of the stations are-
1. Community Radio Padma 99.2FM, Monafer Morh, Rajshahi
Email: radiopadma@gmail.com
2. Community Radio Nalta 99.2FM, Kaligonj, Satkhira
Email: info_radionalta@naltahospital.org.bd
3. Community Radio Lokobetar 99.2FM, Barguna Sadar, Barguna
Email: lokobetar@gmail.com
4. Community Radio Pollikontho 99.2FM, Matarkapon, Moulvibazar
Email: pollikontho@gmail.com
5. Community Radio Sagor Giri 99.2FM, Sitakunda, Chattogram
Email: sagorgiri@gmail.com
6. Community Radio Mahananda 98.8FM, Belepukur, Chapai Nawabgonj
Email: sm@radiomahananda.fm
7. Community Radio Mukti 99.2FM, Maloti Nagar, Bogura
Email: news.rmfm.bd@gmail.com
8. Community Radio Chilmari 99.2FM, Chilmari, Kurigram
Email: radiochilmari@gmail.com
9. Community Radio Jhenuk 99.2FM, Pabahati, Jhenaidah
Email: radiojhenuk@gmail.com
10. Community Radio Krishi 99.8FM, Amtoli, Barguna
Email: krishiradioais@gmail.com
11. Community Radio Naf 99.2FM, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar
Email: radionaf@gmail.com
12. Community Radio Borendro 99.2FM, Naogaon Sadar, Naogoan
Email: 99.20fm@gmail.com, info.borendroradio@gmail.com
13. Community Radio Bikrampur 99.2FM, Dewbhogh, Munshigonj
Email: radio@ecbangladesh.org
14. Community Radio Meghna 99.0FM, Charfashion, Bhola
Email: info@radiomeghna.net
15. Community Radio Sagordwip 99.2FM, Hatiya, Noakhali
Email: radioshagordwip@gmail.com
16. Community Radio Sarabela 98.8FM, Radhakrishnapur, Gaibandha
Email: radiosarabela@gmail.com
17. Community Radio Boral 99.0FM, Bagha, Rajshahi
Email: radioboral.program@gmail.com, sm@radioboral.org
18. Community Online visual Radio Dwip, Sandwip, Chattogram
Email: radiodwip.ypsa2020@gmail.com
Title: Campaign for preventing COVID – 19: A Social Vaccination
Description
BNNRC has been mobilizing all community radios for broadcasting awareness-building programs on COVID-19: to protect lives and livelihoods since March 1, 2020
BNNRC has been working on COVID -19 covering the following issues: 1. Animate CSOs, Government, health service providers, and communities for reinforcing collective action in pre and during COVID-19, 2. Response for achieving keeping community people’s daily life normal and livelihood functional, 3. Mobilize further cooperation among government, CSOs, local market, and communities’ response.
From 1st June 2020 BNNRC has developed an Adaptation plan to help to look at the response through an equity lens, focus on people’s enhanced capabilities & follow a coherent multidimensional approach for achieving the four specific objectives below:
-Enhance the capabilities of affected communities through an equity lens.
-Focus on enhanced capabilities of Broadcasters and Stakeholders for exercising new normal
-Accelerate of ICT applications for benefitting community people in all aspects of life
-Effective public access to reliable and timely information through ICT and media for countering infodemic
The panic among the community people has been reduced gradually and people are taking precautionary measures to prevent contamination. Community peoples are making phone calls, sending SMS, and using ICT during the live broadcasting. They are maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, hand washing, and avoiding all gatherings.
Start date: January 01, 2020
End date: December 31, 2020
Geographical coverage:
Community Radios reach programs in 16 districts, covering 7 divisional geographic regions namely Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Dhaka, Sylhet, and Chattogram in Bangladesh. Literacy rates, culture, dialect, ritual norms, profession, and fashion of communication of these regions are different but the need is similar and almost the same. This project was designed to address the need of all seven regions and their communities as they face the same threat of COVID – 19.
Target beneficiaries’ group (s)
The project aims to make the community people aware and engage them to prevent the contamination of pandemic COVID – 19 collectively. Presently, 18 community radio stations are reaching approximately 8 million people through this campaign program. The target of the project is to aware the whole community who lives in the broadcasting areas i.e. government officials, health service providers, CSOs, and the general mass as the pandemic COVID – 19 is a threat for all and globally as well.
Replicability
This is absolutely a community based on-demand project with a common issue. The project has been addressing the problem successfully by animating all stakeholders of the society. So, the project is replicable all over the world and where radio weave and Social Media (SM) is available. The project activities can be run by the train-up community broadcasters. Hence, the radio broadcasters and Social Media users need capacity building training to upgrade their skills so that they can run the program locally without any technical support.
Sustainability
COVID -19 pandemic is a global concern. The project addresses COVID -19 threats locally by engaging the community and stakeholders so the project will sustain in any part of the world where there is a community and the threat exists.
The community is aware of the scientific explanation of COVID–19 situations, precautionary steps, and available services to prevent COVID. Around 1000 Broadcasters developed their capacity to develop and Broadcast programs through using ICT. Coordinated and combined effort reduced the risks and impact of this unprecedented crisis. Thus, community radios are playing a vital role in building the awareness of the rural communities as it becomes one of the popular and reliable media to the rural communities and able to continue the program with their own efforts.
WSIS values promotion
Through this intervention, WSIS values in Bangladeshi communities is strongly adhered and promoted extensively. This is done through increasing community awareness especially for taking appropriate actions and preventive measures to prevent pandemic or any disaster collectively.
WSIS Action Lines
This project addresses the WSIS Action Line C4 – Capacity Building (Capacity building of the radio broadcasters on virtual broadcasting and Community on health protocol) and C7 – ICT Applications: e-health benefits in all aspects of life (Meeting e-Health: promote collaborative efforts of governments, planners, health professionals and other agencies.)
Sustainable development goals (SDGs)
The project directly links with SDG – 3: Ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. COVID – 19 pandemics is an unknown disease and a global concern.
WSIS Prizes
WSIS Stocktaking and Prize will be an inspiring model to the community media practitioners of Bangladesh as well as in different parts of the world. The winning of the prize will be inspiring to our future broadcasters and policy-makers too.
Contribution to the implementations of WSIS Action Lines and the Sustainable Development Goals
The project directly links with SDG – 3: Ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. COVID – 19 pandemic is an unknown disease and a global concern which disrupts the lives and livelihoods. This project addresses the problem by engaging all stakeholders, radio broadcasters and the community.
This project addresses the WSIS Action Line C4 – Capacity Building. Project provided capacity building training to the radio broadcasters on virtual broadcasting by using ICT and Community people on health guidelines and protocol to follow. The project also covers Action line C-7 – ICT Applications: e-health benefits in all aspects of life (Meeting e-Health: promote collaborative efforts of governments, planners, health professionals and other agencies). Doctors explains COVID – 19 situation, syndrome, preventive measures and available services and supports through radio live phone in program virtually.
Impact
The panic among the community people has been reduced gradually and people are taking precautionary measures to prevent contamination. Community peoples are making phone calls, sending SMS and using ICT during the live broadcasting. They are maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, hand washing and avoiding all gatherings.
National print and online dailies have published the initiatives of BNNRC that are fostering by the community Radios to prevent COVID–19 contamination including Forbes Magazine
Member of Parliament, Deputy Commissioner, Civil Surgeon, UNO, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer, Mayor, Upazila Chairman, Press Club/Journalists, Naval/Army/RAB Commandant, National personality/celebrities: Ex-Secretary, Sportsman, Cultural Activists, Academia, Officers’ In-charge and Superintendent of Police and the community peoples are engaged in this awareness campaign.
Radios are working closely with the local Corona Prevention Committees for reinforcing information and instructions. Thus, a good coordination has been established between government and private organizations, and community radio stations. This awareness campaign will be continued until the normal situation is bring back.
Presently, CSOs, governments, health service providers, broadcasters and community people are working against COVID – 19. The number of deaths is still remaining low in the broadcasting areas comparing outside the campaign areas.
Audiences are sharing their queries and Feedback by making phone calls, sending SMS and reacting on the Facebook page too.
Challenges
Develop and broadcast programs on an unknown disease, the doctors were very busy with their routine work difficult to facilitate live phone-in the program. Different skills are required for explanation of scientific language and medical words translation and preparation of Broadcasting Contents for utilization of community people. Fundraising process has been cancelled and revenue such as advertising income are dyeing overnight resulting in immediate cash flow problem which has created for community broadcasting.
Extended description
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The activities of the program have animated the whole community, stakeholders and health service providers.
- 90 trained up broadcasters are capable enough to develop and broadcast campaign program virtually on COVID -19 independently.
- 1000 community radio broadcasters are capable to share information to the radios on COVID -19 from the remote areas of the community.
- The project connected 8 million community people in this campaign.
- More that 400 doctors have facilitated the live phone in radio program.
- Community Radios have developed and broadcasted:
- 383 Live pho in program “Hello Doctor” to bridge the community people with the health service providers to share their queries.
- 288 radio magazines containing information on COVID -19 by entraining formats.
- 279 Public Service Announcements (PSA) were developed and broadcasted July to December 2020 daily.
- 204 Radio spots were developed and broadcasted from July to December 2020 daily.
- 270 Interviews of Health experts and providers, CSO and public representatives and victims were captured and broadcasted round the project period.
- 11,271 audiences have made phone calls and 14,529 audiences have sent SMS to the doctor during the live broadcast program to raise their issues and doctor addressed them accordingly.
- The programs were streamed live on the Facebook page of the radios where-
- 137,449 viewers have reacted on the program
- 5,471 viewers have expressed their comments on the program and the content. The doctor addressed their queries accordingly.
- 418,273 viewers have viewed the program during the live streaming.
- 2,197 viewers have shared the program on their Facebook page.
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