Life Choices
Duration: 2014
Background
The Life Choices project addressed critical gaps in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) education in Northern and Volta Regions through an innovative radio-based approach. Recognizing cultural barriers to discussing sexuality openly, the initiative leveraged local languages and dramatic storytelling to engage both youth and parents. Implemented across eight districts (including Central Gonja, Mion, Sagnarigu, and Ho Municipality), the project adapted content from the MWML and WSWM manuals into accessible formats, with Junior High School students performing the dramas to ensure authentic youth representation.
Strategy
The project employed a multi-level community engagement model:
1. Media Intervention: Produced 24 culturally-relevant radio drama episodes in local languages, aired during prime listening hours to maximize reach. Each 30-minute episode was followed by interactive call-in sessions.
2. Community Mobilization: Trained 20 community champions as SRHR advocates and engaged traditional leaders (chiefs and elders) to create supportive environments for youth SRHR discussions.
3. Institutional Partnerships: Collaborated with Ghana Education Service to facilitate student participation and ensure school-based support for community mobilization, even when champions were unavailable.
The strategy incorporated flexibility to accommodate implementation challenges like power outages and network issues, with contingency plans for rescheduling and decentralized drama production.
Key Outcomes
The initiative achieved significant impact across multiple dimensions:
1. Media Reach: Approximately 7,000 direct listeners across both regions, with 85 active call-in participants engaging with the content
2. Content Production: 24 high-quality radio dramas created as sustainable SRHR education resources
3. Capacity Building: 20 community champions equipped with enhanced SRHR knowledge and advocacy skills
4. Traditional Engagement: 8 districts’ traditional leadership actively supporting youth SRHR education
5. Community Impact: Measured attitude shifts among parents and religious leaders towards sexuality education
- Demonstrated effectiveness of local-language media for SRHR education
- Highlighted need for district-level production to overcome technical challenges
- Confirmed importance of school-community partnerships for sustainability
The project successfully used entertainment-education strategies to break cultural taboos around SRHR discussions while establishing structures for continued community dialogue beyond the project timeline.