Honduras
EE reaches Garifuna population by modeling positive health behaviors through radio dramas and community mobilization
Activity Dates
2004-2007
Activity Summary
Since 2005, the HIV/AIDS prevention campaign focused on the Garifunas. To expand the reach of the intervention and reinforce the messages at the community level and get where the theater troops could not, the IEC sub-committee produced a radio drama as an innovative way to bring HIV/AIDS prevention messages to the 42 Garifuna communities along the Atlantic Coast of Honduras. HCP sponsored a Creative Design for Radio Drama Workshop in December 2004. As a result, a 90-episode radio drama was developed, Ancestors Never Die, becoming the first ever Garifuna radio drama. The artistic talents of volunteers (18-20) that belong to several NGOs and trained in dramatic arts were the voices of the main characters of the radio drama. This exciting multi-plot radio drama takes place in the fictional Garifuna community, Malawasi, and was aired May through the end of September 2005. It reached 62% of youth 15- to 25-years-old, according to a rapid assessment carried out in August 2005.
During the broadcast of the radio drama, the audience was invited to participate in community activities, which included health and arts festivals, reaching over 4,000 Garifunas youth and young adults with HIV/AIDS prevention messages by the end of 2005. Mass media was behind an increase in community participation in different HIV/AIDS prevention community initiatives. The radio drama was also distributed to 30 High Schools in three regions--Cortes, Colon and Atlantida--and teachers were trained to use it as educational tool with youth. The IEC Garifuna Committee took the lead in increasing the reach of the radio drama messages by revitalizing the antennae of a Garifuna community radio station Faluma Bimeto, enabling the airing of the radio drama for free.
Evaluation/Findings
Results of the Impact evaluation carried out March 2006, indicated that 66% of the youth interviewed spontaneously recalled the radio drama Ancestors Never Die. Seventy percent of the youth exposed reported that they had talked about the radio drama with someone. In addition 94% of the youth believed the radio drama portrayed the Garifuna life in a realistic way and 96% said they would like to continue listening to similar radio dramas. Despite not finding population-level evidence of behavior change (in particular on the practices of abstinence, fidelity and condom use) through Propensity Score analysis, the results are indicative that the radio drama is effective and with time, is very likely to impact the behavior of Garifuna youth in general. First, the fact that the radio drama impacted several of the intermediate variables (e.g., knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy) is promising, since we know that the more of these variables we can impact, the more likely we are to get behavior change. We also know that these variables are usually impacted before we impact behavior. Second, the perception of impact results supports the claim that the radio drama can impact behavior since they show that there are youth who believe it impacted their behavior. Thirdly, the qualitative results also add more support that a population-level impact on behavior is likely to occur with time and with greater levels of exposure.
HCP's work with the Garifuna population continued to use entertainment-education for HIV/AIDS prevention messages. The second season of theatre dramas targeting the Garifuna population was launched. 20 youth theatre groups were established by early 2007 in Colon Atlantida and Gracias a Dios. Theatre skits and radio dramas with a realistic portrayal of Garifuna lifestyle are providing positive role models on safe sex for an audience that has proven hard to reach. This approach encourages and facilitates strong involvement of Garifuna individuals, community groups, and NGOs in all stages of the drama design and implementation. As a result, the Garifuna communities have become active partners and promoters of HIV/AIDS prevention and healthy lifestyles through stimulating community participation involving theatre and music to fight HIV/AIDS at the community level.
Larubeya, By the Sea Shore, is the second radio drama produced. Some characters of this radio drama are younger (14 - 16 years old) modeling abstinence behavior, and older characters focus on reduction of sexual partners and condom use as HIV prevention options. The Garifuna IEC Committee organized a community-led group to approach Radio Catolica to request that the radio station reconsider airing of the Garifuna radio drama, to serve the needs of the Garifuna community with messages for multiple options to prevent HIV/AIDS. Radio Catolica accepted the Garifuna IEC Committee's request and broadcasted the second radio drama Larubeya. Since September 2006 it has been reaching most of the Garifuna communities as well as ladino communities with HIV/AIDS prevention messages through 11 radio stations. A second impact evaluation is scheduled for mid-2007.
Research Reports/Publications
- Formative Research
- Pre-Testing Results
- Rapid Assessment Results
- Impact Evaluation findings of the Garifuna Radio Drama Los Ancestros no Mueren Honduras 2006.
Audiences
- Adolescents and youth 15 to 24 years old from Garifuna communities in Colón, Atlántida, Gracias a Dios y Cortés.
Partners
Enlace de Mujeres Negras, Fundación de Mujeres Garífunas en Marcha, Centro Independiente para el Desarrollo de Honduras, ECOSALUD, Organización Fraternal Negra de Honduras, Comunicando Cambios para la Vida, CONCAVI, and PASMO, Secretariat of Health, HIV AIDS Department, Garifuna musicians and community mobilization volunteers
Materials
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Title: [By the sea shore]
Episodes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
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Title: [Radio drama : By the sea shore : Listen to it on your favorite station
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Title: [Radio drama larubeya : By the sea shore : Hear it on your favorite station]
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Title: [Radio drama larubeya : By the sea shore : Hear it on your favorite station]
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Note about materials: Some of the materials and resources listed on each page are available in their full form, others are represented by image or citation only. For more information and resources, go to www.jhuccp.org
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