Betengna wins media award

Betengna Radio Dairies, produced by the Ethiopian National Aids Resource Center and broadcasted through Addis’s FM 97.1, Sheger FM 102 and on the web , has been awarded the 2009 mass media award for excellence in HIV and AIDS strategic communication in Afirca by AfriComNet.
The project coordinator Amel Belay received the award at a ceremony held in Windhoek Country Club and Casino, Namibia on 12th June 2009. Prominent personalities, NGO representatives, government officials and Namibia’s First Lady attended the event.
The AfriComNet award recognizes outstanding contributions made by individuals/organizations in the field of strategic HIV communication.
Among the five finalists of various medias from Uganda, South Africa, Congo, Betenga has come to be the winner.
The Betengna Radio Diaries are presented in a series of self-narrated stories of individual’s everyday lives and experiences. “Betenga” in Amharic –which refers to a welcomed guest who often visits one’s home-presents a unique insight into what it really means to be HIV positive in Ethiopia.
Over time, the diarists cover a broad range of their everyday life experiences: teen pregnancy, relationship with partners, family, friends and their communities: cultural norms, gender differences, health and medication issues, diminished capacity, emotional and physical stress and living positively.
“Our listeners call in continuously to share with us how they were personally affected by the stories and also motivated to reconsider their own lifestyles. Specifically, the feedbacks we receive from our listener’s group’s in Addis Ababa have significantly helped to enhance the program’s effectiveness. The feedback have also been inspirational for a me as journalist,” Mesnbet Hailu, one of Beteng’a producers told Lambadina newspaper.

“Due to Betengia’s popularity and demand for stories in various languages, we have expanded our broadcasts to two more major Ethiopian languages –Oromiffa and Tigrigna.
We have also increased the number of dairies to relate their stories to their communities in their own languages.” says Gashaw Mengistu, coordinator of the national AIDS Resource center in Ethiopia that runs the Betenga project.
AfriComNet is an association of health and development practitioners that reside, work or half a primary interest in Africa.
(In the first picture,project coordiantor Amel Belay with Cheryl Lettenmaier and debbie Gachui, in the second picture, Betegna producers Sosina Tesfaye, Netsanet Assaye and Mesenbet Hailu)

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