Easy and Possible Organization signed a one-year partnership agreement with UNICEF Rwanda in December 2018 for the purpose of mobilization towards the mass on awareness about Ebola Virus Disease Prevention. UNICEF Rwanda provides support in terms of resources and capacity building. Within this agreement, the focus of mobilization is public spaces namely markets and taxi parks. The mobilization process is made through:
1. Markets and taxi parks radios
E&P Organization uses Markets & taxi park radios in casual Markets to spread messages on Ebola. Market and taxi park “radios” are installed loudspeakers in markets and car parks operating in the same way as the mainstream radios with a planned daily program and have journalists as well as the studio. These radios air the same content since they have one coordinating studio. Placement of one radio can be considered as another frequency of one radio which had different frequencies one particular per area.
Through these radios, Easy and Possible Organization targets people who work in markets and car parks because they actually have no time to follow different media outlets considering the nature of their daily activities. In addition to this category, the target is on passengers in car parks and clients who attend markets without forgetting passers-by.
As part of mobilization on Ebola, every top of the hour, an advert on Ebola produced by the Ministry of Health is aired. In addition to that, every Friday at 15:00, a 2-hour program on Ebola is aired in markets and car park radios under Easy and Possible Organization and sometimes also by partner radios. This program is replayed every Tuesday from 10:00 am to 12:00.
2. Radio Streaming
Thanks to a website www.isano.rw, a news website registered by the Rwanda Media Commission and owned by Easy and Possible Organization, visitors are able to listen to the programs which are live on markets and car park radios under Easy and Possible Organization. In this project, UNICEF Rwanda provides internet since everything is online.
With radio streaming, visitors of www.isano.rw are able to follow live the programs of markets and taxi park radios under Easy and Possible Organization in the way of online radio “Isano Radio”
The above-mentioned advert on Ebola produced by the Ministry of Health and the program on Ebola which every Friday and Tuesday are also aired on Isano Radio online thanks to radio streaming. In partnership with markets and taxi park radios belonging to other parties in different corners of Rwanda, sometimes these radios agree to hold the synergy with Isano Radio in order to air the same content on Ebola.
Following the success of radio streaming, Easy and Possible Organization started testing the collaboration with disc jokers (Djs) in some pilot sites from areas where markets take place occasionally. At the above-mentioned time on Friday, DJs have to tune in radio streaming to let their clients and those who are where loudspeakers can reach, to follow the program on Ebola. These DJs also play the song on Ebola at least 4 times per day during prime time of markets. In addition to this, since in many occasions, they are the ones who lend the sound system to local government institutions during meetings, DJs play the song on Ebola among other songs they play during the meetings which are related to government policies.
3. Roadshows in markets
UNICEF Rwanda empowered Easy and Possible Organization to carry out roadshows in places regarded as high-risk zones when it comes to Ebola spread.
The 1st phase of these roadshows was conducted in March 2019, covering 13 casual markets located in Rubavu, Burera, Rutsiro, Karongi, Gicumbi, Nyabihu and Nyagatare Districts. Estimation of participants in these roadshows is 80,000 people all categories combined: Children, Youth, and Adults (men and women).
The 2nd phase of roadshows on Ebola took place from 26 August to 07 September 2019. This one targeted 13 trade centers around informal borders within 6 districts bordering DRC (Rusizi, Nyamasheke, and Rubavu) and Uganda (Bulera, Gicumbi, and Nyagatare).
4. Capacity Building
The partnership between UNICEF Rwanda and Easy and Possible Organization enabled especially the technical empowerment through:
- TRAINING OF JOURNALISTS ON EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE
The staff members of Easy and Possible Organization and others from market and car parks partner radios were trained on basic information in the process of community mobilization on Ebola prevention. This training facilitated by UNICEF Rwanda took place in Rubavu town on 11th January 2019.
- EQUIPMENT
UNICEF Rwanda equipped Easy and Possible Organization with the increase of speakers which resulted into extension of radios. Initially, this organization was operating in 3 markets and 1 car park but currently, it serves 6 markets and 1 car park.
