COVID‑19 halted education. But for some girls, online isn’t an option.
Solution? Radio.

[ [link removed] ]Mercy Corps

In March 2020, the world changed. With COVID-19 lockdowns
and travel bans worldwide, online connection replaced in-person
interaction. For students from kindergarten to college, school switched to
virtual platforms and learning from home.

But how do you learn from home with no smartphone or internet access?

In much of the world, that’s reality. Especially for girls, the
combination of sudden school closure plus no online alternative is more
than a setback — it can endanger their futures. Being out of school can
mean added household responsibilities, pressure to marry early, and more.
([ [link removed] ]Read more on the effects of COVID‑19 on girls’ education.)

So how do we ensure that girls without in-person or online education
continue to thrive during the pandemic? By bringing new purpose to an old
technology: radio.

[ [link removed] ][IMG]
Shorouq is one of 12 Syrian and Jordanian youth learning voice playback
and audiobook narration in our Access to Justice and Jobs program (read on
for her story).

From Nigeria to Nepal to Jordan, the stories below share how Mercy Corps
and radio help young women continue to pursue education — and get closer
to their dreams — despite the barriers of COVID-19.

Nigeria

In Nigeria, Rahina (a participant in Mercy Corps girls’ education program)
says,

"There was no way I would have been able to learn anything this period
because no one in my house has a smartphone I can use for online
classes."

Our Nigeria program works with marginalized girls to help ensure they
complete secondary school. After COVID‑19 school closures, we found a
solution working with local partners: a radio literacy program to teach
English, Mathematics and Life Skills.

Girls can follow radio lessons with workbooks. To maintain
[ Nigeria ]Nigeria physical distancing, each community has a workbook drop
point, to be picked up by facilitators for grading before the
next radio program.

 

An added bonus: the whole family can tune in. A student’s mother, Fatima,
says:

"It has not just been helpful to me but to my family as a whole, myself
and my children sit to listen to the radio and learn together, and it is
fun to learn together as a family."

Nepal

With graduation exams around the corner, grade 10 students in rural Nepal
were worried about how COVID‑19 school closures would affect them. Laxmi,
a student and participant in Mercy Corps girls’ education program, said:

"At first I thought our exams would be postponed for a few weeks or so.
But as the weeks turned into months, the level of uncertainty grew."

Our Nepal program accelerated efforts to provide
classes via radio. Girls in rural Nepal like Anjana [ Anjana ]Anjana in Nepal
(16, pictured) face many challenges to receiving
education, including pressure to marry early.

 

We found that distance learning through mediums like the internet and TV
were not feasible — many students lacked internet access and hardware like
laptops, smartphones and televisions. We chose to disseminate lessons
through local FM stations — the most popular and accessible source of
information in the region. The radio sessions helped students recall what
they had learned in the academic year to better prepare for exams.

Jordan

In Jordan, radio provides more than a medium for education — it’s a chance
for youth to share their own voices on the air.

Mercy Corps partnered with Masmoo3, the first company producing Arabic
audiobooks in Jordan. Masmoo3 provides professional training for youth to
become narrators for scripts of audiobooks, advertisements, cartoon
characters, audio translation and documentaries.

Shorouq (pictured in top image) is one of twelve Syrian and Jordanian
youth learning voice playback and audiobook narration in the program. She
says:

"I have been passionate about this field since I was little. Thanks to
this opportunity, I managed to combine my passion in media with my
university degree in Education, to produce and direct my own radio show
which focuses on family education."

Mercy Corps programs continue to adapt to the shifting demands of
communications during COVID‑19. Whether online, in person, or on the
radio, we know we must use every available tool to reach people safely
where they are now, while building foundations for a more prosperous
future.

Humanitarians like you help make this possible.

As a Mercy Corps community
member, your engagement touches lives in more than 40 countries. Thank
you.

With appreciation,

The Mercy Corps team

P.S. If you liked these stories, we invite you to read
more on our [ [link removed] ]website, and consider sharing with friends and family.
Thank you!

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