Radio Program “Kick Ebola From Liberia” Shifts Focus; Addresses Immunizations, Education
‘Kick Ebola From Liberia’ is a weekly radio programme produced in Liberian English that launched last November. The show is broadcast across the country 112 times a week on more than 20 partner stations. Early on, our aim was to provide information and discussion about how to avoid catching the Ebola virus, obtaining early treatment, practicing safe burials and breaking the chains of transmission. But now that the crisis has entered a new phase, we are shifting our focus, addressing issues such as immunisations, livelihoods and education after Ebola.
The programme is produced by BBC Media Action, which has partnered with the Paul G. Allen Foundation to deliver communication training to media, officials and humanitarian workers in 10 countries at risk in Africa. The partnership includes producing media outputs – such as ‘Kick Ebola From Liberia’ and the mini-drama series Mr. Plan Plan – to help people take action to protect themselves and their communities in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
For ‘Kick Ebola From Liberia,’ we work with a team of Liberian journalists to produce our stories. From individual tales of inspiration to serious interviews with government officials to in-depth stories about community-based solutions, we aim to address the issues that matter most, tackle rumors, and address issues of stigma. The focus is on discussion and collaboration, encouraging Liberians to band together and support each other through the crisis and into the immediate recovery phase. Listeners are invited to submit questions and contributions via text, Facebook and WhatsApp, which we incorporate into each the radio show.
