Radio project southern Madagascar

Organisation: Andrew Lees Trust
Location: Southern Madagascar
Project: Village Voices radio project

Village Voices for Development (VVD) is a pilot project joint funded by the Adsum Foundation and the Swiss Embassy through the local partner the Andrew Lees Trust, (ALT MG) which was set up in 1995.

VVD’s aim is to build the capacity of the local partner to support rural communities in southern Madagascar to participate in decision making processes, understand local development strategies and debate policies and services that affect their lives, ranging from health issues and services to conservation and natural resource management.

Village groups in the pilot phase are empowered and trained to produce local language audio materials in which they pose questions and express concerns to decision makers, whose direct responses will be recorded. ALT MG edit the materials into radio programmes to be broadcast locally, which with phone-in shows will facilitate wider audience understanding of rights to information and involvement in development, and will hold local authorities to account.

Communities in the Androy region suffer from food insecurity due to recurrent drought and additional livelihood demands and pressures on natural resources (e.g. forest cut for domestic fuel).Radio listening groups in Androy have already participated in programme production, focus group research, evaluations, and in some cases, gathering of oral testimony.

Radio programmes made by the project will have a very considerable multiplier effect, reaching an estimated audience of a minimum of 10,000 listeners in Androy. This estimate is based on the existence of more than 500 radio listening groups which are already set up in the region with approx 12 members each plus 4,000+ members of the general population who have access to radio receivers (10% of the population minimum).