Betengna, which refers to a welcomed guest who often visits one's home, uses the medium of radio in an effort to decrease the stigma and discrimination that HIV-positive people face in Ethiopia by exposing the human face of living with the virus. It also aims to provide a platform for creating discussion on other issues among the general public. The diarists therefore cover a broad range of their everyday life experiences: teen pregnancy; relationships with partners, family, friends, and their communities; cultural norms; gender differences; health and medication issues; diminished capacity; emotional and physical stress; and living positively.

Specifically, the initiative involves developing regular weekly radio diaries that focus on the personal implications and challenges of living in a community affected by HIV/AIDS. Each 20-minute programme consists of a short narrative diary and is followed by a feature that delves more intensely into major issues discussed in the diarist's interview. The broadcasting is national because of NARC's combinative use of 4 regional stations and one national station (each station airs a different set of episodes and broadcasts in different languages). The diaries are aired on FM Addis 97.1 on Tuesdays at 8:10 pm and Fridays at 3:30pm, Debub Radio (Awassa) on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:05pm, Dimtsi Woyane Tigray on Sundays at 9:30am, Radio Ethiopia on Saturdays at 6:15pm, Amhara Mass Media Agency on Saturday 7:10 am, and online.

To make this possible, during the first phase of the project organisers engaged in preliminary background documentation and research and identified HIV-positive radio diarists willing to talk about their lives honestly, openly, and with clarity and real emotion. In the second phase, Internews Network's Local Voices project – which trains and mentors Ethiopian journalists and talk show hosts to improve their reporting on AIDS – provided intensive coaching on all aspects of radio programming. Eight radio producers, 3 radio broadcasters, and several HIV-positive diarists were guided in creating effective programming that responds to the priority health issues in their communities (e.g., in order to increase public awareness, acceptance, and utilisation of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT), and antiretroviral therapy (ART) services.) To draw attention to the broadcasts that were produced as a result of this training process, organisers developed and disseminated promotional materials such as posters, fliers, stickers, and press kits. For example, an electronic press kit was designed for use by the media in reporting on issues faced by HIV-positive people.

To further engage the community, organisers set up and conducted listening groups with existing community groups such as Idirs, HIV-positive groups, youth involved in HIV/AIDS work, health professionals, and workers. These discussion groups have expanded to the following regions: Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (SNNPR).

Production of documentation detailing the process and the impact of the diaries on listeners, diarists, and the radio producers is in process.

HIV/AIDS.

According to the programme producers the series present an insight into what it really means to be HIV positive in Ethiopia. The programme organisers hope the diaries will help reduce the stigma of being HIV-positive. "This is an innovative approach to educate the public through an honest and open account of the human story of a disease and its physical and social expressions that we all can relate to," says Dr. Tadesse Wuhib, Director of CDC-Ethiopia, "Through provision of a powerful insight into the life and emotions of someone living with HIV/AIDS, I am sure the stories will contribute significantly to the communities' understanding of the severity and individual and communal susceptibility to HIV/AIDS and to the reduction of stigmatisation and marginalisation of PLHA."