By Michelle Lanchart | VP of Communications and Engagement
Meet Fane! Fane works as a producer on “Ouro Negro ao Vivo” (Black Gold Live), a radio call-in program that engages communities in Mozambique on essential community health topics. Check out the video link below.
Like many of the producers who work in Ouro Negro programs, Fane has learned important lessons about health and community from listening to the stories that people share on the air. From learning how to properly use mosquito nets to fight malaria, all the way to making sure those with disabilities are given equal opportunities in life, the stories she’s heard have made a huge impact in the way she sees the world.
Creating equal opportunity for people with disabilities is a large part of our work in Mozambique. According to a report by the UN's Department of Social and Economic Affairs, young people and adults with disabilities are at equal or greater risk of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections due to amplified barriers to accessing necessary services. Journalists and radio producers like Fane play an important role in connecting people to the health resources that are available to the community—especially to populations that may experience more difficulty finding and accessing the resources that are out there.
The radio dramas in our Access Without Barriers program are designed to educate teens in Mozambique with and without disabilities about important sexual health topics. The storylines are tailored to what listeners actually experience in day-to-day life and help them build safe and informed health behaviors. Programming is inclusive of a wide range of disabilities, from physical to mental health, and the content we produce speaks to those unique complexities.
Having launched in 2020, the program is already beginning to create positive impact. Data indicates that in 2021, some districts saw a 530% increase in young people with disabilities accessing health facilities. This year, we expect to see a meaningful expansion of the program’s reach, as new and existing content continues to find new audiences
By connecting families to health services, individuals like Fane are helping women and children to live healthier lives. Thank you for helping us to share and spread stories that change people’s perspectives in Mozambique on health and access to critical sexual health education for all.
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