Social Norms
Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
Social Norms
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Nekolera Gyange (I Run My Own Business) - Uganda

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The International Labour Organisation (ILO)'s In Focus Programme on Boosting Employment through Small Enterprise Development (SEED) is collaborating with the commercial radio media to enhance information provision and communication for the micro and small enterprise (MSE) sector in rural Africa. The programme uses radio to provide marginalised businesspeople - especially the self-employed - with a voice to influence environment and policy decisions, a platform for discussion, and a channel to receive information that is important to the survival of their businesses. The goal is to help these businesses take advantage of recently liberalised political, economic, and media systems. IFP/SEED provides technical support to the radio stations to establish the programmes on a commercially viable basis.
Communication Strategies

Broadcast in Luganda twice weekly for 30 minutes after the evening news since October, 1999, the magazine format features business news; talk shows; interviews with self-employed persons, technical experts, and policy makers; and live call-in. 70-80% of airtime engages listeners in interviews, dialogue, and other interaction with an emphasis on the pride that comes from being self-employed. Although the main focus is policy and regulatory issues affecting the self-employed at the local level (such as double taxation by the City Council in Owino Market and sanitary conditions in informal sector markets), the programme occasionally addresses city-wide or national policy issues and how they affect small enterprises. Technical advice and business linkage opportunities are provided, as are linkage opportunities with like-minded businesses. Focus listener clubs have been established for the purpose of making the programme closer to its intended audience in terms of content and participation.


A CD Rom and video describing the programme have been produced.

Development Issues

Economic Development.

Key Points

The small enterprise sector represents 88% of businesses in Uganda. However, it provides generally low wages and poor working conditions. Owners struggle to find markets, and are constantly investing time and resources in licenses, fees, bribes, and ill-conceived or poorly implemented regulations. Helping self-employed persons participate in the mainstream economy, where profits and wages are higher, and to removing the numerous policy obstacles might help, organisers suggest.


Radio is by far the most common communication media in Uganda. 40% of self-employed persons in the target geographic area, some 90,000 people, listen to the programme.


As a follow-up to this programme, Tanburn, Anderson, Kintu, and Ssemakula developed a vision for initiating additional radio projects. Three radio stations, in addition to CBS, are broadcasting small enterprise radio programmes similar to Nekolera Gyange. Two are rural stations in Uganda, and one serves the most concentrated small enterprise area in Ghana, the Kumasi region in central Ghana.

Partners

Mobile Telephone Networks (MTN), Centenary Rural Development Bank (CERUDEB), FIT Uganda, the Austrian Development Service (OED), International Development Research Council (IDRC), the Small Enterprise Policy Unit of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Central Broadcasting Services (CBS).

Sources

Message sent from Fit Africa to The Communication Initiative on June 17, 2002; and Small EnterprisE Development (SEED) Working Paper No. 27 Series on Innovation and Sustainability in Business Support Services (FIT): "An Information Revolution for Small Enterprise in Africa: Experience in Interactive Radio Formats in Africa" by Mary McVay.