Africa

This is Refugee Week. In Northern Uganda, refugee voices are at forefront of the battle against the problems Covid-19 brings to their communities. We heard about some places where the only information comes through megaphones. After a while this can seem a list of do’s and don’ts and people in those communities say they feel…

As the number Covid-19 cases begin to rise dramatically in Kenya, health authorities have been urging communities to stay at home, observe physical distancing and not to go back to work. However there is a major concern that many young people, particularly in Nairobi’s informal settlements, are not heeding the warning. To that end, Mtaani…

Stephanie writes about her self-isolation experience and reflects on stories from Sierra Leone, “I started thinking about what could encourage me through this time. I remembered a story from Ebola survivor, Aliu, who I met in Sierra Leone and whose story stayed with me. Even in the darkest of times, facing grief and trauma, Aliu had hope and reached out to others.”

Our partners at Amani FM in Tana River County, eastern Kenya, report that rumours, fake news and misinformation about the Corona virus, are causing fear and panic. They are working hard to ensure that good information is being disseminated, that constructive dialogue is happening and that community fears and concerns are being heard.

Eastern Kenya’s Tana River County has long been affected by violent conflict. Poverty and political interference has added fuel to the fire, along with pressure from Al Shebab extremists who are trying to destabilise Kenya. It is for that reason that journalists from Amplifying Voices’ partner station, Amani FM are undergoing training as “peace ambassadors.”

Just over a week ago, the Soot Semee team in Northern Uganda handed out first Soot Semee podcasts on memory cards to a community of South Sudanese refugees. At the same time, they distributed speakerboxes so that over 100 groups of around 10-20 people each can listen to the podcasts together. One of the community…

Did you receive a Smart Speaker this Christmas? – or did you get one in the last two years? Voice activated speakers like the Google Home and Amazon’s Echo Dot (pictured) have triggered renewed interest in audio media and boosted the popularity of podcasts according to Reuters Institute. Reuter’s research reveals that, in an image-…

Another community in Freetown, Sierra Leone is benefitting from the Amplifying Voices through SALT project (AVS)! Young people in Sammy Town have taken up the challenge to repair the damaged roads in their neighbourhood following a chance encounter with project volunteers. Sammy Town is a community in the hills overlooking the centre of Freetown. Two…

In the last week of September I joined a great group of people for a workshop near Arua, Uganda. Some of the group are South Sudanese refugees and others are Ugandans. They have a plan to work together on a media project to improve community health, education and social cohesion in northern Uganda. We facilitated…

Two years ago a team from Amplifying Voices set up a community-centred radio station in the town of Garsen in eastern Kenya, training a team of volunteers from different tribal groups. Ahead of the August 2017 elections, the station was designed to promote peace and social development. Today, two years on, Amani FM has become a vibrant part of the community and a powerful voice for peace