The World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) in association with Hirondelle USA and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) created this fundraising campaign to help local radio stations and their staff in Ebola-affected regions. This is the first stage of a soon-to-be-launched international journalism training program initiated by the WFSJ. The program will contribute to bridging the communication gap among key stakeholders in the Ebola crisis, by positioning local media at the center of the communication channels and enhancing the use of credible information by the media.
Current Situation
The Ebola
outbreak continues to threaten the economy and lives of many families in Sierra
Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
Beyond the devastating effect of Ebola,
poor communication has clearly heightened fear among the public, while
potentially seeding confusion among scientists and journalists who report the
outbreak. Until now, much of the official communication
efforts on Ebola haven’t been very effective at reaching communities that exist
largely in an information blackout. There
is a certain degree of mistrust between the local communities that have been
hit hard by the virus and the various
agencies on the ground whose messages don’t always concur with local
culture and idiom. Amongst other things, this led to the sad story of eight members of a team—including two journalists—trying to raise awareness about
Ebola, being killed by villagers in Guinea.
What we need
In many regions rural radio is the most trusted source of information for local communities. But these local radios lack the tools to report accurately and timely in this chaotic situation. They need fuel and electricity to air their programs, telephone and voice recorders to carry out interviews, transportation to reach their news “sources” and the communities.
EVERY DOLLAR you pledge to this campaign will go towards providing much-needed equipment to local radio stations in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
YOUR HELP will enable journalists to focus solely on checking news sources, delivering credible and trustworthy information to populations in crisis and not worry about their recording equipment or how they will reach the interview site.
What will your money pay for?
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Hirondelle USA and AMARC in Western Africa will use the funds to buy much needed supplies and equipment that will be distributed amongst a range of local community and rural radio stations based in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. A list of beneficiary stations will be provided upon request.
Stories on the field
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“As young woman reporter it is very challenging with the current state of Ebola, which exposes one to the risk of coming in contact with people who might be infected in the course of searching for the news. However, faced with this challenge, I have become even stronger in that I have learnt how to fit myself in this situations.”
Rumors currently circulating among rural communities:
“When you have Ebola and are sent to the hospital, they inject you with a product to kill you so you don’t infect others.”“The government sent this disease to the Guinean forest to do away with the minority population there.”“It is the president who created the disease to delay the upcoming presidential election.”“The whites brought Ebola to Guinea as a curse, or as a method of wiping out the population.”
Who are we?
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Other Ways You Can Help
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Photos:
Jean-Claude CAPT | Foundation Hirondelle
Monika EMCH | Hirondelle USA