June 1, 2011

New Haiti Radio Show Keeps Rural Listeners in Southeast Up-to-Date

Weekly ICT Initiative Provides Local News on Food Security, Natural Disaster Preparedness

Knowledge is power and in Haiti’s Southeast Department, a new weekly radio show enables rural Haitians to make better-informed choices.

ACDI/VOCA and Haiti’s Southeast Department’s Ministry of the Environment created the radio show to provide practical news on issues related to food security, agriculture, the environment and natural disaster preparations.

“We plan to expand to other radio stations in the Southeast and invite other NGOs to participate,” says ACDI/VOCA Deputy Chief of Party Mathieu Lucius.

ACDI/VOCA uses information communication technologies (ICTs) like radio in its development programs to improve results for beneficiaries. The radio show efficiently informs large numbers of Southeast Department listeners about the latest local development activities and provokes their interest in participating. In addition, it reinforces lessons from area trainings.

Listeners Learn about Preparations for Haiti’s Hurricane Season, Practical Agricultural Techniques

The Ministry of the Environment and ACDI/VOCA host the program, which is broadcast from Jacmel’s Radio Hosanna: 102.3 FM Stereo. ACDI/VOCA staff share updates about development initiatives from around the department either in person at the station or by telephone from their respective communes.

“Our early warning systems director, Gerry Delphin, recently spoke on the program about the food security situation in the Southeast and preparations for the upcoming hurricane season,” says ACDI/VOCA Chief of Party Emmet Murphy.

On the same show, ACDI/VOCA agronomist Samuel Dol called in from Anse à Pitre, a town seven hours away by car from Jacmel. He described to the radio audience various project activities in the area and shared information about vermiculture, the use of specially bred worms to convert organic matter into compost. ACDI/VOCA is working with Ministry of the Environment to promote the use of vermicomposting in that region to help farmers increase soil fertility and grow more, and more nutritious, crops.

ICT Initiative Integrated into Broader Economic Development Activities

The radio show is supported through ACDI/VOCA’s USAID PL 480 Title II Multi-Year Assistance Program.

The project uses an integrated approach to improve food security in Haiti’s Southeast Department, one of the country's poorest and least food-secure regions where problems include high child stunting rates and inadequate prenatal care.

Learn more about ACDI/VOCA’s activities through the Haiti MYAP program.

Pictured at top left: ACDI/VOCA's Deputy Chief of Party Mathieu Lucius and the Ministry of Environment's Arcene Bastien host the new radio show.