For many Burundians, Listeners Clubs are a window into the world outside of their village. They are a way for locals to discuss important issues and understand how they belong within the community as a whole.
Through meeting, hearing about and discussing issues, group members are able to understand new ideas and concepts and share with each other their own opinions. Lines of communication which are otherwise silenced become open.
These broadcasts have become instrumental to the spread of education in areas such as Poverty, family issues, HIV/AIDS, Individual Rights, Food security and nutrition, hygiene and sanitation and more vocational work-related topics.
Take for example, Audrey’s experience below. Listeners Clubs don’t just provide a space for individuals to talk, they provide them with a space to communicate and learn.
The last radio show I listened to spoke of a specific case in a village; a girl of 11 years was to be given in marriage when she was still in school. First there was an intervention to make it clear to the parents that it is better to let the child continue her studies. Villagers also contacted the municipal authorities to give their views. The other villages then reacted with mobile phone listening clubs to share their past experiences. Here, the radio had a direct influence.
Audrey NTIRAMPEBA, participant in (ASASS) asbl
For the community Listeners Clubs to remain a reality, we need help to provide voice players (radio, phones, etc.) to listeners clubs in Burundi’s remote rural communities. Not only to support existing clubs, but also to expand their reach.
We also need help encouraging attendance from community members. Topics tend to tackle subjects such as HIV and AIDS, Family Planning, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, Behavior Change, Domestic Violence and Rape – issues which are considered taboo. Your donations which help us to Create a comfortable environment in which those attending feel safe and able to discuss what is on their minds.
Already, Listeners Clubs have contributed to increased take-up of HIV/AIDS testing and more equitable access to land in Bubanza and to improved agricultural practices in Burundi.