MONGU, Zambia, 11 June 2010 –
By Michal Rahfaldt
Pedrou (left), 18, and Inonge, 14, were trained as youth journalists as part of World Cup in My Village, a project supported by UNICEF, the Children’s Radio Foundation and other partners.
For Inonge Sitali, 14, a radio dialogue with peers about the FIFA World Cup 2010 – which kicked off June 11th in South Africa – is more than a casual conversation. It is an opportunity to discuss important gender issues in her local community of Mongu, in western Zambia.
“I disagree with the guys out there who are saying that football cannot be played by girls,” says Inonge. “We all have the right to play any sport.”
The radio discussion is part of ‘World Cup in My Village,’ a youth journalism project supported by UNICEF, the Children’s Radio Foundation and other partners in conjunction with the global football tournament. Young reporters trained by the programme are encouraged to document their lives and speak out about the issues affecting their lives.
Young radio reporters
While some of the boys and girls in the group radio discussion agree with Inonge, others are not so convinced.
“Football is a very hard sport, and it requires maximum power to perform, so girls are not suitable to play it,” says Pedrou Kakorio, 18.
Both Pedrou and Inonge were trained in journalism as part of World Cup in My Village. Along with other adolescents in Mongu, Zambia and the Rubavu district of Rwanda, they received audio recorders, cameras and flip video cameras – and were taught the skills needed to tell their own stories.
The project gives young reporters the opportunity to explore pressing concerns in their communities and share their experiences with the rest of the world. Their audio reports will be broadcast on local, national and international radio stations; and additional content will be posted on the Children’s Radio Foundation website and disseminated via social media platforms.
To read more please click here: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/zambia_53962.html