To execute this educational and entertaining community radio game show was aimed at:

• encouraging husbands and wives to discuss issues openly with one another;
• encouraging men to discuss family health matters with their wives; and
• persuading husbands and wives to interact more equally.

Nze N'Owange also used a variety of media to reach its audience. Community mobilisation events were recorded and broadcast on the radio for a wider reach. Print materials and radio spots promoted the events, and newsletters on male involvement were distributed during community events.

The DISH project hired the Group Africa Mobile Promotion Unit to conduct 52, 45-minute interactive community game shows in a total of 26 communities. Contestants for the shows were married couples living within those communities. In each community the game show played twice, in separate locations. The District Health Educator and local leaders displayed posters and distributed flyers inviting couples to audition for the show. During auditions, the radio presenter identified couples with a good stage presence. Four couples were then selected a week prior to the event, in each of the 52 locations.

To get the audiences excited about the game show, first the Group Africa Mobile Unit performed skits on male involvement in family planning and on Pilplan (the contraceptive pill) and Injectaplan (the injectable contraceptive). The game show then started with a catchy jingle with messages encouraging couples to talk about family planning and other health issues. Four couples were invited to the stage where the presenter then asked each couple to take seats beside one another and explained the rules of the game. The husbands were taken to a soundproof area where they cannot hear what their wives are saying. The wives then answered questions about their families and relationships with their husbands. The husbands come back to the stage and answer the same questions. The couple that has the same answers to most of the questions is selected as the winner. The winning couple receives a prize such as a radio, phone, or mattress. The show then ends with the presenter encouraging husbands and wives to take an interest in each other and to talk openly with one another ("Kirungi okwogeraganya"). The presenter also announces when the audience can listen to the radio broadcast of the game show. The crew encourages the audience to ask questions on issues discussed during the show. Newsletters called "Health Matters" on male involvement and other print materials are distributed.

For the radio broadcasts of the show, promotional spots were aired four times daily for a week before the broadcast to market the programme, and continued to be aired after the programme. A 15-minute version of the pre-recorded show was broadcast each week. The community radio programme contained music and interviews that also emphasised the importance of couple communication in making family planning decisions. It was broadcast on Ugandan radio station, CBS, one night a week in from January to July 2001. The programmes were broadcast in Luganda in the 12 DISH II project districts. Fifty-two, 45-minute interactive community game shows were conducted in 26 communities.

The programme began by welcoming people to the show, mentioning the prizes to be awarded and who donated the prize, and continued with a jingle and the pre-recorded community game show.

Reproductive Health, Gender, Women.

The shows were expected to attract a crowd of 150 to 500 people, depending on the size of the community. Approximately 15756 attended the community events.

Each radio programme was expected to reach an estimated 300 000 women and 500 000 men in the 12 project districts, which is approximately 9 million Ugandans. The organisers believe the radio programme actually reached far more people that expected, because men and women in non-DISH project districts listened to the programme.

“The following were the results of a survey that was designed to assess the reach, comprehension, appeal and impact on knowledge and practices of the Nze N’Owange radio programme after seven months of being on the air:

• 40% listenership;
• 87% indicated that they find the programme enjoyable;
• 79% of the respondents thought it was important for men to get fully involved in family health;
• 39% of listeners said that they remember the games in the programme more than anything else;
• 49% believe that the theme of the programme is the importance of husbands and wives having

rapport while 22% believe its about men’s involvement in family planning/ family health; and

Listeners tend to use family planning centres more frequently than non-listeners do and their frequency in engaging in recommended health related practices are higher.

Self-professed impact of the programmes among listeners:

• 69% of the listeners responded that the programme had changed their outlook on family planning issues; and
• 22% reported having received more information on family health, AIDS and STDs.

Health workers in the areas where Nze N’Owange took place reported that many people requested to have the radio programme re-broadcast.”