Listening group members tuning in to the radio show outside their classroom

May 2010: Changing attitudes to female genital cutting is just one of the achievements of a Plan-supported radio listeners group in Shebedino, Ethiopia.  

The group of 21 school children came together in June 2009 after Plan and a local partner started supporting community radio broadcasts in Sidama, their local language, and provided them with a radio.  

Each week the group gets together to listen to the show, discuss the child protection issues raised and see if they can bring about change in their villages. They also help to set the show’s agenda by communicating with the programme’s producers to raise issues and ask questions. 

Female genital cutting

The programme on female genital cutting struck a cord with the children.  “Our community believes that an uncircumcised girl loses her ability to behave in a calm way and that it’s also difficult for her to get a husband. Occasionally girls visit a village circumciser secretly even without the consent of their parents to reduce peer group isolation,” said group member Martha. 

After discussing the topic, the children decided to explain the health and emotional impacts of female genital cutting to 5 members of their community. 

Changing behaviour

“One day I learnt that 2 girls from my neighbourhood planned to visit a village circumciser. I approached them and convinced them not to do it. They took my advice and dropped their plan,” said Fana, a seventh grade group member. 

The children are already being recognised for their efforts. One mother said: “Before she taught me about this issue, I got my 2 daughters circumcised, but now I regret this and will never circumcise my remaining daughters. Now I am changed, thanks to my daughter.”

Burning issues

Villager Akamo Hirpo said: “As any other father in my community I used to believe that punishing a child by burning hands for stealing things would correct him. My son, a member of the radio listener group, discussed this with the whole family saying that… this type of behaviour can be easily settled through building positive discipline instead of corporal punishment that harms children. Now I have started to think and act differently.”

The radio listeners group is part of Plan Ethiopia’s work to help children speak out on matters affecting their lives.

Find out more about Plan’s work in Ethiopia.

Learn about Plan’s global work on protection and child participation.