AMALNA South Sudan use media and communication to support people to make informed decisions and to improve their health at all time. We believe that Media and Communication have the power to save lives and improve health of vulnerable people. Our work helps people take action on their health, make informed decisions, inspire discussion and increase understanding of the health issues.

Through our approach, we work closely with communities, radio partners across the country to reach and engage our audiences. We use creative approach through development of content such as drama, jingles, theater, direct community awareness raising, digital and social media, community discussions and radio talk shows to educate, inform and create a discussion forum all.

We focus on providing people with trusted and reliable information that help audience to understand the cause, prevention, treatment, as well as countering misinformation. We cover health issues that include COVID-19, HIV/AIDs, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene among others. However, our current capability on health is on COVID-19.

COVID-19 Response

AMALNA South Sudan is working to create clear fact-based radio and social media content to help communities adapt and protect themselves and to help stop the spread of COVID-19. AMALNA South Sudan believe in the power of media and communication as the way of effectively do the right work. South Sudan like other countries recorded the first COVID-19 case in 2020 where the nation was in a total panic. With support from Norwegian People’s Aid, we quickly developed radio jingles used for awareness raising and aired on over 20 radio stations across South Sudan to educate people about the disease. We created massive awareness raising through our community volunteers in Juba and Bor with community leaders, at the boreholes, home-to-home, and discussions groups among others. We further used social media as a means to reach to millions of people across South Sudan and in the diaspora to create awareness about the disease. People need accurate reliable and correct information to keep themselves and families safe in times of crises such as the COVID-19 time.

In September 2020, we join the EU funded project “COVID-19 Response for Africa; Together for Reliable Information as implemented in 17 Sub-Sahara African countries. We trained eight journalists that help us collect live stories from their communities across South Sudan used as bases for developing media content and advocacy. We developed 15 radio magazines in both English and Arabic featuring different issues brought about by COVID-19 pandemic. Key topics include the effects of Covid-19 on small business, schoolchildren, journalists, and people’s perceptions on COVID-19 vaccines, use of facemasks etc. Our programmes used a research-based approach to dig out the citizen’s perceptions on how COVID-19 affects them and their wellbeing but also to create awareness on the disease. We exposed the critical issues at the community level that are affecting the citizens as the result of COVID-19 in South Sudan. We are committed to continue to join the global fight against COVID-19 to ensure that people and their families are safe and free from COVID-19.

Governance Response

Our approach of using radio, film, social media, theater, television and other media communication content help people have better access to accurate, credible and balanced information. We empower people to know their rights and advocate for it. We create space for public discussion on issues concern citizens and national development. Media help people understand the responsibilities of their leaders and our work helps people to meet and speak directly with their decision-makers, to dialogue and make them answerable. We strive for fair, transparent and accountable public processes to help people live together more peacefully and develop. AMALNA South Sudan believe that media and communication are core components of development and are essential for democratic societies. Reliable information through media is essential in addressing problems and support effective and inclusive governance that hold leaders accountable.

In 2020 AMALNA implemented Wagif project aimed to address and promote fair, transparent and accountable public procurement process. We used media and communication to engage thousand through media and outreach activities. We bring community leaders, lawmakers, and civil society organizations, government officials to interact, dialogue and to share stories with citizens. We conduct research to understand citizens’ views, perceptions in regards to corruption.

Education Response

Our outreach education intervention aimed to Promote Equal Access to Education for Girls and Boys and to address attitude and behavior change as it is critical in advancing education, therefore creating the value of sending children to school.

The intervention intends to create and strengthen advocacy initiatives that increases community knowledge and perceptions on critical issues that affect children rights to education, especially girls and how they can address such issues to allow girls and boys equally go to schools.

Our intervention was based on media and communication advocacy strategy. We build capacity of target beneficiaries, use integrated awareness creation approaches through Public campaign, public lecture, radio programming, social media messaging, and dialogue forums with concerned government institutions, caregivers, community leaders, students, teachers and PTA/SMCs. Our outreach project implemented in 2020 targeted schools in and around Juba. AMALNA successfully conducted an effective advocacy through a series of activities such as radio talk shows, designing of advocacy messages through Education Information and Communication (IEC), conducting focus group discussions at selected schools with Students, Teachers and other stakeholders.

Coverage and Focus

We use mass media and community outreach to help prevent and resolve conflict and build more peaceful South Sudan. Our work provides trusted information, convenes inclusive discussion and uses stories and ideas to bridge gaps, build tolerance, dialogue, reconciliation and empathy, reduce the acceptance of violence and encourage a more peaceful means to conflict resolution.

Our media approach is more diverse in nature, it affect everyone though with focus on youth and women.  We reach a wider coverage across the nation and impact millions across the nation with our messages. We ensure that people with disability, women, children, girls and those marginalized groups are represented in all aspect of our programs. We work with diverse classes of people such as actors, musician, and reporters in our content development so that it is relevant to all.

AMALNA South Sudan Response