Radio Repurposed: An old technology offers girls new chances

  • P Project/Program

I Inactive

Key Information

Our Nigeria program works with marginalized girls to help ensure they complete secondary school. After COVID‑19 school closures, we collaborated with local partners to offer a radio literacy program, teaching English, Mathematics and Life Skills.

With graduation exams around the corner, grade 10 students in rural Nepal were worried about how COVID‑19 school closures would affect them. We found that distance learning through mediums like the internet and TV were not feasible — many students lacked internet access and hardware like laptops, smartphones and televisions. We chose to disseminate lessons through local FM stations — the most popular and accessible source of information in the region. The radio sessions helped students recall what they had learned in the academic year to better prepare for exams.

In Jordan, radio provides more than a medium for education — it’s a chance for youth to share their own voices on the air. Mercy Corps partnered with Masmoo3, the first company producing Arabic audiobooks in Jordan. Masmoo3 provides professional training for youth to become narrators for scripts of audiobooks, advertisements, cartoon characters, audio translation and documentaries.


Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Middle East & North Africa, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

Jordan, Nepal, Nigeria

Government Affiliation

Non-governmental program

Years

2020 - 2021

Partner(s)

Masmoo3

Ministry Affiliation

Unknown

Funder(s)

Not applicable or unknown

COVID-19 Response

New for COVID-19

Geographic Scope

Global / regional

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment

  • Secondary completion
  • Secondary Enrollment

Other

  • Remote Learning

Quality

  • School facilities

Skills

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy

Cross-cutting areas

  • COVID-19 Response
  • Emergencies and protracted crises
  • Gender equality

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Girls (both in school and out of school), Youth

Age

12 - 18

School Enrolment Status

All in school

School Level

  • Lower secondary
  • Upper secondary

Other populations reached

Not applicable or unknown

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Access to school

  • Alternative learning centers/mobile schools/home schools

Curriculum/learning

  • Increased availability of learning materials

Educational Technology

  • Digital devices for the purposes of studying, learning
  • Digital learning materials/programs

Increased availability of learning materials

  • Educational Radio or Television Programs

Teaching

  • Teaching materials (e.g. lesson plans, curricula)

Tutoring/strengthening academic skills

  • Literacy - in the classroom
  • Numeracy - in the classroom

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Increased grade attainment
  • Increased literacy
  • Increased numeracy
  • Increased secondary school completion
  • Increased secondary school enrolment
  • Increased test scores
  • Reduced absenteeism
  • Reduced grade repetition

Cross-cutting goals

  • Increased agency and empowerment