The Radio Workshop:
Giving Young People a Voice

Child Safety: A Report by Media Monitoring Africa

For five weeks South Africa lost itself in football fever, hosting what many have claimed was the best World Cup ever. But as the warm glow of the World Cup fades, Media Monitoring Africa looked at what the host country did to ensure this momentous event was not held at the expense of its most vulnerable citizens – its children.

With children on extended holidays for the duration of the World Cup, there were concerns that the sporting event brought with it new threats and risks in terms of child safety. Children from Saxonwold and Naturena Primary Schools in Johannesburg wanted to find out what was done to keep children safe during the World Cup, how effective they had been, and what role the media had played! Take a listen to what they had to say.

Khotso Zihle

Furqaan Ahmed

Khumo Baduza

Khotso, Furqaan and Khumo are learners from Naturena and Saxonwold primary schools. They were nominated by their peers to represent them at a children’s press conference on the 12^th June 2010, dealing with issues like children in the media, child safety and human trafficking.

They then participated in a radio project with Media Monitoring Africa where they trained and worked as child reporters. The above report is the product of all their hard work!

They conducted the interviews on Saturday 3^rd July (Carol Bews and children at Fifa Fan Fest in Soweto) and on Thursday 8^th July (Stephen Blight and Gyan Dwarika).

Khotso talks to children at a Fifa Fan Fest in Soweto

Lets talk about child safety: children give their views!

Khumo interviews Carol Bews, Johannesburg Child Welfare

For more information, contact Laura Fletcher:
Advocacy & Research Officer
Media Monitoring Africa
lauraf@mma.org.za

Education for All

The World Cup in My Village youth journalists held a radio debate to discuss the reasons that young Zambians struggle at school. Malnutrition kept many students back, they argued, and contributed to poor performance in the classroom.

“Children don’t learn because they are hungry,” argued 14 year-old Inonge Sitali. “When you’re hungry you can’t concentrate on school.

View the audio slide show about the debate.

Find out more about World Cup in My Village and 1GOAL: Education for All.

Gisenyi, Rwanda: As a consequence of the 1994 genocide and the impact of HIV/AIDS in Rwanda, many children have been orphaned or abandoned. For the past 16 years, the country has been hard at work to heal the divisions that were exploited so brutally,  and to create opportunities for its youth. Many challenges still remain – poverty is one of the most acute. For young people this means struggling to pay school fees to complete high school or the search for a decent job. Still, in spite of this there is also optimism. Here are two perspectives.

Anastase Tuyishime (17)

My name is Anastase. I live in Rubavu District. What makes me happy is that I have managed to cope with all the bad things that have happened to me. For example, I am an orphan. I never knew my parents, but I managed to cope with being an orphan, I experienced a tough life in school and was expelled because I didn’t have anyone to pay my school fees. That way I’ve learnt to cope and bear all the bad things that have happened to me. I have hope that God will protect me against all things. My life has been tough but the fact that I’m here makes me very happy. It gives me courage when I compare myself to other children who have parents, and I see the way they behave. I’m happy for that quality that God gave me, the quality of persevering against all hardships in my life. I would be happy if all other orphans would learn to persevere because there is hope. God did not mean for any one of us to suffer. I’m glad that I’m alive because there are many children who had both parents and they are no longer here. I’m grateful for being healthy. I’m happy I don’t fall sick [regularly], because I see many people who spend long periods sick in hospital.

Claude Nzabahimana (20)

My name is Claude, I’m 20 years old. What makes me happy in my life is that the area I live in, the country I live in, and the continent I live in, is much more secure and safe. Going by the recent history of Rwanda where people killed each other for no reason I’m glad today that we have peace, unity and reconciliation. People are living well together and asking for forgiveness from each other. I am very happy that that step that has been taken and would like to congratulate all Rwandans for this achievement. I want it to continue that way. The other thing that I am happy about is that our country has progressed in having good relationships with neighboring countries. Because I know that there are countries that are having bad relationships, because they have not been able to solve certain differences between them, I’m grateful for this progress and hope that it continues. I’m happy about the good governance that we have and the development that’s been achieved, may all this continue.

Find out more about World Cup in My Village and 1GOAL: Education for All. For more information about the Children’s Radio Foundation, contact us at info@radioworkshop.org.

17 year-old Esther Kalenga interviews her classmates about the conditions at her school in Mongu, Zambia.

Schools that work

What facilities and learning resources are necessary for a school to offer a quality education to its students? The World Cup in My Village youth journalists in Mongu, Zambia took this question head-on, and considered the good, the bad, and the ugly at their school.

“I feel that we don’t really have facilities to help us learn effectively,” says Grade 11 student Steven Sianga. Schools are not just about students and teachers, he says. They’re also about having suitable facilities and learning resources like textbooks and computer labs that function.

“Teachers are there to take us through, to make us pass,” says 18 year-old Lawrence Mulope. “The materials are in teachers.”

“Some pupils are interested in certain subjects like IT, but here at this school, there’s no class for taking IT,” says a classmate at St. John’s Senior Secondary School. “And the computers there, it’s like they are there for decoration only, and there’s not enough for the pupils to benefit from.”

Listen to the full radio debate, or download the file as an mp3 for broadcast.

Find out more about World Cup in My Village and 1GOAL: Education for All. For more information about the Children’s Radio Foundation, contact us at info@radioworkshop.org.

My teachers

To what degree do teachers play a role in a child’s performance at school? Are teachers the key ingredient in a school’s success or failure?

Many of the students at St. Johns Senior Secondary School in Mongu, Zambia credit their triumphs to the hard work of some of the teachers in their school. “They want to make sure that their schools are representing, that the pupils are able to make it,” says 17 year-old Richard Mufaya, noting that a few teachers have made an incredible impact on his life and his studies.

But while some teachers help students to motivate themselves, others don’t seem to care enough about their well-being. “Some of our teachers are teaching so just that at of the end of the month they will be paid,” says Esther Kalenga.

Listen to the full radio debate, or download the file as an mp3 for broadcast.

Find out more about World Cup in My Village and 1GOAL: Education for All. For more information about the Children’s Radio Foundation, contact us at info@radioworkshop.org.

Gisenyi, Rwanda: A challenge facing many young men in this corner of Rwanda is the difficulty of finding work, and what this means for their ability to assume responsibility for caring for their ageing parents or building a life of their own.  Alexis Niyongombwa is 20 years old. This is his story.

Dodos Twahirwa (20) earns a living as a football coach for the community-based organisation, Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle. He was unable to finish secondary school because his family did not have enough money. Despite his worries, he encourages other young people to complete their high school education.

Ghana vs. USA Match: June 26, 2010
Youth journalist Chipo Shangoma describes the atmosphere at the screening of the Ghana vs. USA World Cup match in Mongu, Zambia.

World Cup in My Village–Ghana vs. USA from Children's Radio Foundation on Vimeo.