Recording of an episode of radio soap opera

Media Education to Improve Young People's SRH in Cambodia

Project profile: CHEMS began working on the RHIYA programme as the implementing partner in 2004. HU was the executing partner and Cambodian Health Education Development (CHED) a sub-contracting partner. The project aimed at providing SRH information through interactive broadcasted mass media, targeting special beneficiaries: Cambodian youth in rural areas aged 12-25, out of schools in urban/rural areas, migrant youth. Radio broadcast covered 80% of the country, reaching 9.6 million people including 3.2 million of 10-24 years old.

The project enabled to produce radio programmes consisting on 2 call-in shows talking about ASRH and related issues with on-air counselors answering young people’s questions on emotional, physical and sexual issues, but also 2 radio soap operas following the lives of young characters facing a range of ASRH experiences and dilemmas.

Radio shows are supplemented by a written magazine column published in a fashionable youth magazine, the production of youth-targeted multimedia campaigns using TV and radio spots and community theatre. The project also provided regular training to government, NGOs and private sector on IEC and media skills. CHEMS garnered greater community support through activities of the Focus Groups (peers), the Youth Advocacy Network (YAN) and the Media Support Unit (MSU).

Strategy: Owing to its former experience under the RHI phase, CHEMS identified that efforts still needed to be made to increase SRH knowledge and awareness especially among the youth in rural areas. CHEMS radio indeed continued to receive basic SRH questions from listeners, meaning that SRH education was lacking. In fact, access to SRH services and information simply did not exist in some parts of the country. CHEMS found out that young people were scared by HIV more than other health issue, and were most concerned about poverty, domestic violence.... Moreover, Medias in Cambodia tended to reinforce stereotypes and misconceptions about SRH and there was a continuing demand for media workshops to fill the capacity gap. Furthermore, the government had not adequately incorporated required SRH education into curricula, and youth shyness to speak about SRH and cultural expectations about women behavior were not helping in addressing the SRH educational gap.

To address these issues, CHEMS identified a logic approach to respond to ASRH priorities. It focused on reaching the groups that only received little attention such as illiterate youth, out of school, garment workers, internal migrants, disabled, youth affected by HIV/AIDS, in order to disseminate SRH information to a wider proportion of people. It was also important to inform on ignored issues such as parental influence, gender rights, and minority rights, gay rights...for youth to leave more freely without being stigmatized. CHEMS therefore coordinated with health organizations and Medias to advocate against false information and ensure the capacity building of CHEMS staff. CHEMS also took into account the suggestions / feedback from A/Y regarding SRH to be used by the government in its future development of a standardized RH school curriculum. CHEMS also focused on informing the youth to enable them to make safe decisions and to access good quality health and social services to overcome their fears. CHEMS also developed linkages with organizations working on RH projects including with Equal Access and Woman’s Media Centre on trafficking awareness, and working closely with the Ministry of Health and key NGOs to ensure the sustainability of the project impact.

Outputs: 1) Increased political, community and family support for A/Y RSH interventions creates enabling environment: CHEMS organized orientation meetings for and kept contact with local teachers, village elders, health centre staff, district authorities to create sense of inclusion; public events raised community and policy makers awareness on the importance of ASRH knowledge and services (Youth camps, forums, gatherings, Water festival..); RHIYA partners helped to develop Clinical Guidelines for ASRH Services representing the government’s will to improve the ASRH; MSU network (including media organizations, government bodies and other organizations) brought attention on misleading / false SRH advertising in the media and instigated advocacy action at the national level; At the community level, the YAN, through workshops, allowed youth, NGOS, parents associations to communicate their needs and resulted in youth participating to health centers and meetings, thereby introducing youth ideas and perceptions in the decision-making process.

2) Increased knowledge of RH issues and awareness of risks among the target young people: More than 670 radio shows recorded with various formats (live phone-ins, interview with guests, songs, spots, mini-dramas...) on several ASRH topics including discussions on social issues (gender, domestic violence, unemployment...); Publication of a column twice a month in “Popular Magazine” (90, 000 copies per month worldwide); Soap-operas with realistic scenarios demonstrating consequence of behavior change and broadcasted as part of the radio show to invite direct discussion on the drama; In Batambang, a local version of call-in show was produced and broadcasted twice a week with a more rural focus; Peer Educators (Focus Groups) were regularly trained (on puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, contraception, HIV, conflict resolution, domestic violence...) and monitored the content and quality of radio programme; In 2005, 734 “sub-peers” were set up at village level to reach children of younger age; CHEMS developed and produced media materials acting as promotional materials for radio programs and displaying messages (t-shirts, comic books, video documentaries...).

3) Enhanced technical, planning and managerial capacity for local provision of youth friendly SRH services: CHEMS conducted one advocacy workshop at country level and 3 more workshops run by partners at community level focusing on health communication. Community workshops include youth participation and focused on practical ways to advocate for better services and information; CHEMS held 6 media training workshops for other NGOs, government and interested associations (script writing for radio mini drama, community theatre, audio editing, basic video camera techniques...); CHEMS made important change from a project of an international NGOs to a local independent NGO: a day team building workshop was held in June 2004 and 5 day retreat organized in 2004 which were important activities to make the staff feel they play an important role in the transition; CHEMS developed training schedules for the staff, based on their needs (internally and externally); a study visit for two management level staff to South Africa took place in March 2004 and regular meetings and feedback were organized from CHEMS Focus Group and YAN since better approach could be use.

Lessons learned: Radio represents excellent medium for mass dissemination of ASRH messages but it is not easy to trace changes in the knowledge on attitude and practice from a radio show: letters and calls can give a feedback for priorities and behavior of target audience and helps achieving levels of relevancy, update needs, develop appropriate curriculum: youth listens to materials created by youth. Moreover, radio transcends the needs for literacy, is discreet, interactive, accessible and allows to overcome fears to raise questions. An effective combination of media approach (soap, call, magazine column) reinforces the ASRH message.

Supportive environment is necessary to improve ASRH knowledge and understanding and empower A/Y to take care of them (importance of safe and open forums for discussion); Sessions must be interesting, interactive, comfortable, entertaining: it is important trying to insert comedy as much as possible since it helps to diffuse a stressful situation and make a taboo topic more acceptable. Government support is increasing gradually so RHIYA partners can increasingly play a part in contributing to policy making. Moreover, community must be incorporated in project activities for success and a strong network of partners lead to quick responses, assistance in developing materials, solving minor issues, sharing lessons learned.

General development: Project trainings were extended to provide education and employment opportunities for peer educators/youth staff: CHEMS employed 10 peers for future funded projects. The ending of CHED contract demonstrated that even greater monitoring is required for sub-contracting partners and that a plan for staff resignation is needed. Finally, CHEMS filled a gap in media training in Cambodia.

Partner Profile: The Cambodia Health Education Media Service (CHEMS) is an independent Cambodian organisation. Originally founded by Health Unlimited, UK, CHEMS became a locally registered NGO in 2005. It focuses on disseminating SRH information and advice to young people in Cambodia, through interactive mass media broadcasts. To reinforce key SRH messages, CHEMS produces youth-targeted multimedia campaigns using television, radio, newspapers and community theatre and runs outreach activities in advocacy and empowerment skills, aiming directly at community level - to train young people in SRH and media skills, as well as to promote quality SRH care services and youth reproductive rights. In 2005 CHEMS opened a regional office in Battambang, in order to have a greater presence in the provinces and have a reach some of the more isolated areas of Cambodia. CHEMS still enjoys a strong and fruitful relationship with Health Unlimited and currently employs 26 qualified staff and an expatriate technical and management advisor.

Contact: Address: N° 170, Street 450, Toul Tumpoung II, P.O.Box 950, 12311 Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Tel: 023 219 305; Fax: 023 218 410 E-Mail: chems@online.com.kh
Website: http://www.chems.org.kh