Young Rwandan radio stars help in fight against Coronavirus

Young people from a remote part of Rwanda have taken to the airwaves to share life-saving lessons around good sanitation and hygiene practices with millions from across the country, and are now playing a vital role in the fight against Coronavirus.  

The students, aged 14 to 20, have been writing and producing engaging radio plays over the past 18 months, teaching people about the importance of washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds at key points as well as the role of decent sanitation and clean water in preventing the spread of disease, such as COVID-19.  
 
The radio dramas are the result of a partnership between Radio Ishingiro and international charity WaterAid, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, who raise funds for good causes in Britain and beyond. The radio project runs alongside WaterAid’s water, sanitation and hygiene education programme to bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to some of the most deprived areas of the country.   
   
Africa has so far been less severely hit by COVID-19, but fragile health systems and a lack of access to clean water have prompted the World Health Organization to warn African countries to prepare for the worst. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 75% of people do not have anywhere to wash their hands at home and knowledge of good hygiene is not widespread. In Rwanda, according to the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), a staggering 95% of people do not have access to a hand-washing facility with both soap and water while 56% of schools lack clean water. 
   
The weekly plays have proved a powerful tool in sharing hygiene messages. A quarter of the population of Rwanda cannot read and the cost of a TV is beyond the means of many, so radio is the most popular medium for people to access relevant news and information. Radio Ishingiro is the biggest community radio in the country, reaching a massive 4 million listeners – a third of the population.  
 
Rwanda imposed Africa’s first lockdown on 22 March, and the pre-recorded content is now being aired to support the fight against the virus. WaterAid is also working with the government to improve the provision of handwashing facilities. 

Solonge, 20, lives with her family in Bugesera district in eastern Rwanda, and contributes to the weekly drama slot.  

Solonge said:  

“I have become a hygiene trainer since doing the radio programme. I taught my mother how to be hygienic and showed her that if you don’t wash your hands, you are going to catch diseases. Because I am on the radio, people take me seriously. The best thing is seeing the neighbourhood changing. The dramas really are changing lives and that makes me feel important and really happy.” 

Emelthe Mukashyakh, the mother of Solonge, says:  

“All my neighbours have been listening to her (Solonge) and talking about her and that makes me feel really proud. She has been brave enough to talk about hygiene on the radio. It has given her a lot of confidence in herself and she is spreading a positive message at the same time.  

“Solonge has helped me change my habits. I never used to cover the latrine or wash my hands after going to the toilet. I now understand good hygiene and sanitation is the source of good health… It is so important.” 

As a result of the popularity of the plays, the young people involved have turned into celebrities in their villages, managing everything from writing, acting, and even sound effects like creaking doors and animal noises. Most importantly, they have been teaching their communities important hygiene lessons which may save lives.  

Martha Uwimana, a school WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) officer for WaterAid in Rwanda, adds: 

“The dramas are playing a crucial role in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19. The students have been emphasising the importance of regular handwashing and other good hygiene behaviour, as no meetings can take place in the community at this time. People are being encouraged to remain at home for 14 days so radio is a powerful tool.” 

Promoting good hygiene is one of the most cost-effective health interventions, according to the World Bank.  
 
Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised more than £500m for charities overall and, since 2013, more than £13.2m for WaterAid and its work across Sub-Saharan Africa. Its support is helping projects such as this in Rwanda, which has reached more than 26,000 people with clean water, 2,800 with decent toilets and 5,400 with hygiene education.  

Sanjay Singh, senior programmes manager at People’s Postcode Lottery said:  

“It’s incredible to see how our players’ support is helping people and making an impact on lives around the world. We are proud that the funding they have raised is supporting WaterAid’s work to help bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to everyone, everywhere; which is now even more essential than ever.”  

WaterAid Chief Executive Tim Wainwright said:   

“We are really grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for supporting our work in Rwanda and across sub-Saharan Africa to educate millions of people about the importance of hygiene practices to improve health and prevent the spread of infectious diseases, like COVID-19.  

Preventing the spread of this devastating virus will be much more challenging in Sub-Saharan Africa, since around three quarters of people have nowhere to wash their hands in their homes and knowledge of how and why to wash hands properly is not widespread.  We are currently rolling out campaigns across all the countries where we work encouraging handwashing and working where we can, to put in handbasins with soap in public places to help people protect themselves, their families and communities. 

It is inspiring to see how young people in Rwanda, together with Radio Ishingiro, are helping to create lasting change in good hand hygiene practices within their communities.” 

Find out more about WaterAid’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic: bit.ly/2WMhHYS. 

ENDS 
  
For more information, please contact: 

Susan Springate, Senior Media Officer, at [email protected] or Laura Crowley, PR Manager, [email protected].  

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Notes to Editors: 

People’s Postcode Lottery

For more information about WaterAid and People's Postcode Lottery, please visit https://www.wateraid.org/uk/wateraid-and-peoples-postcode-lottery

WaterAid

WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. The international not-for-profit organisation works in 28 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 26.4 million people with clean water and 26.3 million people with decent toilets. For more information, visit www.wateraid.org/uk, follow @WaterAid or @WaterAidPress on Twitter, or find WaterAid UK on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid.

• 785 million people in the world – one in ten – do not have clean water close to home.[1]
• 2 billion people in the world – almost one in four – do not have a decent toilet of their own.[2]
• Around 310,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That's almost 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.[3]
• Every £1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of £4 in increased productivity.[4]
• Just £15 can provide one person with clean water.[5]

[1] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselines

[2] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselines

[3] Prüss-Ustün et al. (2014) and The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (2018)

[4] World Health organization (2012) Global costs and benefits of drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to reach the MDG target and universal coverage

[5] www.wateraid.org