Title: Bridging the Gap in Information Communication for Betterment of Governance in Guraghe Zone

The partnership with Wolkite 89.2 FM Radio was principally meant to enhance two-way information communication between the citizens and government actors, enabling the voices of the former to be heard while paving the way for accountability and responsiveness in the latter. 

The major components of the project were:

• Training journalists on media and communication;
• Training Woreda communication experts and students in secondary schools on mini-media and communication;
• Broadcasting the work-in-progress and outputs of the other pilot grant projects;
• Preparing and broadcasting regular radio programmes on the voices of poor and marginalized citizens, as well as the practices of government actors – focusing on the implementation of a Health Extension Programme for women, and Small & Micro Enterprises Promotion Programme for youth employment;

The capacity building intervention on development journalism that targeted journalists of Wolkite 89.2 FM Radio (and five other FM Radio stations in the state), and communication experts working at 15 Woredas in Guraghe Zone, enabled the radio station to plan for and engage in the creation of opportunities for expressing the voices of citizens as well as the responses of government actors.

In addition, the training of students in mini-media communications initiated the schools to request the respective Woreda Offices of Education for a supply of mini-media equipment. The Local Government actors responded positively and provided the four secondary schools with the needed materials which in turn enabled the school communities (students and teachers) to have the opportunity to exchange ideas and live discussions on various issues.