In 2002
MOSS funded the production of a 24-part radio soap programme to help
inform the people of Madagascar on eye problems, nutrition, hygiene
and family planning. This was in collaboration with The Dodwell
Trust Mitondrasoa who specialise in this form of communication. With
the previous distribution of wind-up radios in the mainly rural
parts of Madagascar, approximately 70% of the population were
exposed to the educational weekly drama. A team of scriptwriters,
actors and technicians, in coordination with health professionals
created the health education soap ‘Tafa Sarivolana’. This was
broadcasted by National Malagasy radio and also rebroadcast in 16
regional radio stations.
A
particular strength of the project was the involvement of over 600
‘Feedback groups’. The weekly broadcast generated a lot of
discussion amongst the listeners. Questions about the broadcast were
answered and passed back to the development team to make sure the
intended message was fully understood. If there were an area of
confusion or misunderstanding this particular point would be
rebroadcasted in a future script for clarification.
The initial programme was very popular. With the development of the
National Eye Programme in Madagascar starting to take shape in 2004,
it was decided to do a further 24 part ‘radio soap’ but with a
greater emphesis on eye health and in particular the availability
and good results of Cataract surgery. Cataract accounts for
approximately 70% of the needlessly blind in Madagascar. In
measuring the impact of the project it was found that
outpatient consultations
increased in all the eye centres. People expressed an interested in
eye care and asked where they could find an ophthalmic centre, how
and what they could do to have cataracts surgery. Due to this surge
of interest, we have collaborated with Lions Sight First Madagascar
to help deliver an Outreach Cataract Programme to deliver cataract
surgery and other eye care to those who would otherwise be unable to
reach an eye centre or afford treatment.
