I trust Golaafala so much that I bought a cookstove after listening to the drama.
In Ethiopia alone, indoor air pollution 鈥� caused by inefficient cooking stoves, smoke from open fires and kerosene lamps 鈥� triggers tens of thousands of premature deaths per year.
麻豆社 Media Action is producing a radio drama and public service announcements 鈥� as part of a project called Air We Breathe 鈥� to help address the harmful health effects of indoor cooking and lighting on people living in rural communities in Oromia, Ethiopia.
The drama, called Golaafala (meaning 鈥榮olution from within鈥� in Oromiffa) revolves around the lives of a young woman, 18-year-old Warite, and two young men who admire her 鈥� minibus driver Nahom and the well-to-do Wako, who owns a mill. When a character is taken to hospital with a serious lung problem 鈥� the audience finds out what the drama is all about. Through its depiction of everyday life the drama showcases practical solutions to indoor pollution 鈥� such as using stoves that emit less smoke, improving ventilation in the home and lamps powered by cleaner fuels for example, solar lamps.
鈥淲e decided that storytelling and radio theatre are the best ways to address such a serious topic,鈥� explains Dawit Batri, 骋辞濒补补蹿补濒补鈥檚 senior producer. 鈥淪poken word, poetry and music are very popular in Oromia and appeal to the artistic nature of the Oromo people.鈥�
The format, broadcast on Oromia Radio, is proving popular. "I love to listen to Golaafala every Wednesday because it鈥檚 a real reflection of the villages we live in and it's like hearing your own voice,鈥� says Bezina Getachew, a listener from the eastern town of Harar. The drama is helping inspire action. "Listening to Golaafala is like listening to my own voice. It's the exact reflection of the society I live in" said Emebet Kedir from Agaro, Jimma Zone. "I trust Golaafala so much that I bought a cookstove after listening to the drama."
Project information
| Project name | Air We Breathe |
| Funder | |
| Dates | 2016 |
| Themes | Health |
| Outputs | Radio drama, public service announcements, capacity building |
| Broadcast partners | Oromia Radio and Television Organisation, Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation |
Our projects in Ethiopia
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Negat: A new 'dawn' for young people in Ethiopia
Our radio and TV programme, Negat (Dawn), is challenging stereotypes and inspiring young people to seek out new opportunities. -
Protecting independent media for effective development
We are working with media support organisations and local partners to find out how best to support public interest media in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. -
How communication can address unsafe migration through and from Ethiopia
This programme focused on providing information and forums for discussion about unsafe and illegal migration so that people could make informed decisions. -
BabyWASH: Reducing childhood diarrhoea through radio
We encouraged healthier hygiene practices by mothers and fathers in Ethiopia to help protect children from often-deadly conditions such as diarrhoea through radio, community discussion and training with health workers. -
Using radio to address indoor air pollution in Ethiopia
Air We Breathe was a health-focused project in the Oromia region of Ethiopia addressing indoor air pollution through radio and public service announcements. -
Building resilience to extreme weather through radio
Radio programmes and mobile phone services have helped improve farmers鈥� access to accurate weather information in Ethiopia.
