URUNANA - Communication for behavioral change

Presented by;Presented by;Urunana DC Management Urunana DC Management

Email: [email protected]; Website: www.urunanadc.org

Urunana Development Communication (Urunana DC) is a

registered National Non-Government Organization which is specialized in development communication mainly focusing on Social and Behaviour Change Communication approaches;

The NGO was started in 2004 and obtained its legal status as a

not-for-profit National Non Government Organization in 2006, under Ministerial order No. 138/11 of 27th December 2006;

Urunana DC was started by Rwandans with the support of Health Unlimited (Currently known as Health Poverty Action), a UK based organization;

The organization is governed by the board of directors who are answerable to the general assembly.

Background


Our Vision: “We are committed to being a leading

development communication organization in health and social welfare”

Our Mission: “To contribute to the development and the wellbeing of communities in Rwanda through innovative, creative and interactive communication and social services”

Our Core values: Professionalism, Transparency and Accountability, Respect for local culture and values, Participatory and Interactive communication, Gender equity, Social and Economic equity and, Financial sustainability

Background …


Urunana radio soap opera: This is one of our most successful program interventions with listenership currently estimated at above 70% (Program assessment report, 2012) of the population in Rwanda. Urunana is an audience driven program.

The first radio opera episode was produced and aired on the 16th February 1999; So far over 1800 episodes have been produced and broadcast;

The Urunana radio soap opera depicts real-to-life image of Nyarurembo (fictitious village) that represents all communities in Rwanda.

Urunana radio soap opera largely address health sector issues. Areas of focus in recent years include: SRH, HIV and AIDS, Malaria, TB, Maternal and Child Health, Family Planning, Gender Based Violence, Malaria, Nutrition, etcetera.

Urunana DC Program Activities


The prominent audience driven “URUNANA Radio Soap Opera“ program that is produced and is broadcast weekly since 1999;

Umuhoza radio magazine program: this is an interactive pre-recorded radio program which explores in depth the issues addressed through Urunana radio soap opera episodes;

Community outreach theatre performances: These are community activities whereby drama skits are developed and performed right in the community;

The activity attracts huge audiences in the range of 5000 – 10,000 people who mainly come to see and learn from their favorite characters in Urunana;

Other Urunana DC SBCC products include: radio sketches, radio spots, stand alone serial radio drama, Mobile video cinema shows, TV drama and TV spots;

Urunana DC Program Activities …


Email: [email protected]; www.urunanadc.org

Actors on stage before a very attentive audience at Burega in Rulindo district during a scene where a woman who took milk at the Milk Collection Centre late returned it home



Actors on stage before a very attentive audience at Burega in Rulindo district during a skit aimed at raising awareness on milk handling practices

URUNANA DC uses edutainment communication approach in its

SBCC program;

An atmosphere of entertainment is created to hold the attention of the audience while forming a good education environment;

This blend (entertainment-education) ensures that the desired key messages are interwoven into the character stories and attracts the audience;

Our program always ends with a cliff hanger to generate curiosity in the mind of the listener to listen to the next program.


Communication Approach

Urunana Development Communication came into partnership with LAND O LAKES/Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program II (RDCPII), to implement a communication project titled “Awareness Creation towards Improved Nutrition through Increased consumption of Milk and dairy products in Rwanda (ACINIM)”;

As usual Urunana DC engages in an orientation session with its partners to clearly understand the intention of the new project;

The orientation session was held with LOL right at the onset of the project to take the creative team of Urunana DC through what was to be communicated about and also shared relevant documentation;

This helped Urunana DC to find an entry point into the main problem and was able to design relevant storyline of Urunana radio soap opera for the key messages on milk and diary products;


Partnership with LOL

Then one day workshop for Urunana DC staff to discuss project goals, objectives and activities; A learning and experience sharing session was also organized with selected partners in dairy sector;

Among the key presenters was the Head of Nutrition department and 2 presenters from Rwanda Agriculture Board (one cup of milk per child) to enable the team have wide knowledge on the subject to be addressed;

Urunana DC production team noted key attitudes to challenge as well as myths and misconceptions around milk consumption hence gained clear understanding to carry on the project.


Partnership with LOL…

Led by Urunana DC Production Team together with LOL and selected key stakeholders, a content/messages development workshop was held to design key messages targeting different segments of people (target population) with identified behaviors;

The expected output of the workshop was to develop messages which are understandable, believable, personally relevant, culturally relevant, attention-catching, memorable and do-able; This was done!


Pre- Production Workshops

Urunana DC production team proceeded with a storyline

workshop and developed a storyline with messages on milk and dairy products to run for a period of one year;

Artistically reviewed the messages and assessed the characters to assign respective messages in Urunana radio soap opera;

Planned regular Audience Surveillances to pre-tested for

accuracy and reliability of messages and stories of Urunana Radio Soap to inform program production;


Storyline Workshop


Map of Nyarurembo

Watch video clips for audience feedback

Effect of the key messages among the listeners


LOL testimony.mp4

Watch video documentary of the community

outreach theater performance (see video)

Effect of the key messages among the listeners


«I am Laurien, I like Urunana program, I want to tell men who are like Ruremesha that they should change their mindset. They should take care of their wives by getting for them a balanced diet. They should not understand that milk is for sale only. The child’s health is the responsibility of both of them. .. » sent on 8/5/2016

«How are you? I am called Ngirente Jean Bosco. Petero’s father should give enough milk to his family members so that they can drink until they feel satisfied because, as I can see, they are the ones who mix it with water I am in Kigali, Kicukiro, Kagarama» sent on 1/5/2016 tel : 0783 332 852

Some audience testimonies and feedback

…


“I was helped by Ruremesha’s family.We had

the same disease (prolem) I compare to leprosy; we used to sell all the milk without leaving some for the family. After hearing the effect of Ruremesha’s selling of all the milk, we changed and that disease is no longer in our family” said by Sibonyange Oliver from Gikaya, Nyamirama, Kayonza district;

Some audience testimonies and feedback …


Community mobilization using the community outreach theatre approach with skits carrying the desired key messages is very effective considering the way messages reach huge numbers of the population who attend the events and able to gauge message retention immediately after performance

The sample audience testimonies give clear indication that the effect of the messages among the target population is strong and the impact of the communication program is felt;

Lessons Learnt


We noticed form the testimonies, that messages depicted in

Urunana radio drama and Umuhoza radio magazine and community outreach theatre, reach a wide audience.

This kind of communication offers an advantage of increasing the audience’s belief that people in similar circumstances can learn vicariously and copy positive approach from their counter parts. Such entertaining and educative programmes positively reinforce beliefs and behaviours compatible with public health goals.

Lessons Learnt…



Thank you

Government & Nonprofit

URUNANA - Communication for behavioral change