INSIGHTFUL AUDIOS FROM OUR STUDIO

Hello,

My name is Gira Emmanuel, the Team Leader and Founder of Imani 1985, a community organization based in Lira, Northern Uganda. One of our major activities is research and production of audio content for broadcast media. Today, i would like to announce to you that, we will be sharing many audio contents including serial drama on our social platform; Sound Cloud. All you need to do is go to sound cloud, go to search pane and type Imani 1985. ON CLICK ON the page; PODCAST on this blog; you will instantly be there and listen to the audios. Feel free to give your comment or like the post. Every time we upload an audio, we will be sharing the link on our Facebook wall Eg. https://soundcloud.com/user-410836331/cc-episode-1 . Click on the link and it will take you there. Enjoy!

A SHIFT IN THE TERRAIN; we can still instil values even in the absence of the traditional system

Traditionally, the older people used to impart life skills into young people in evenings around the fireplace (bonfire) using songs, riddles and stories. In Uganda today, this type of environment, that nurtured such skills and provided enabling environment for positive decision-making, has gradually been disintegrating. In formal institutions, knowledge of information is passed on in a formal approach.

The current demands on individuals are more complex, brought about by rapid changes in the society.  These changes call for an approach that explores attitudes and values and developing life skills. Life skills provide a link between motivating factors and behaviour by translating knowledge of ‘what to do’ and the attitudes and values of what “one should do” into “abilities for how to do”

It is therefore a fact that, when young people are informed, they are better able to make rightful decisions about their lifestyle, behaviour, their career, their education, their health and do asset their interest, in the final analysis, to be able to have a socially sound and materially secure and sustainable livelihood for greater participation in the national economy and national development and hence creation of conducive economic situation for all. Young people need skills that are culturally sensitive and appropriate to their age

Something Special for the youngsters at school

Life Skills Info-tainment is theatrical communication programme designed for the teenagers in high schools with the aim of building the invaluable preciousness of the family life and positive friendships/peer relations in order prepare the young people to cope with areas of vulnerability. It is a synthesis of the materials sourced from different value systems; legal sphere, cultural norms and religious teachings fused in a unique youth friendly artistic production incorporating drama, music, dance, role plays, quiz and a variety of pieces on responsible and healthy growing.

The communications in the programme discuses thoroughly the basics of real life, responsible growing and development (basic life skills), including; the skills for knowing and living with oneself, the skills for knowing and living with others and the skills for decision making.  It challenges the young people to discuss objectively, values of freedom, self-esteem, effective communication, love, sex and romance without regret, family life, self-reliance and hard work, practical friendship, dating for marriage and gives them the chance to eventually choose the best and abandon the worst.

What else can we tell the young person? Feel free to go to the comment area, and share your thought.

Exposure to radical idealogy through social media; are our young people safe?

Recent Research shows that, young people’s exposure to social media and modern extremist’s propaganda and indoctrination done through many other avenues including social media are key causes of violence by students and demonstrators in the streets all over the world. According to CNN, the days of would-be terrorists needing to travel too far-off camps to make contacts and learn how to build bombs is rapidly receding. Social media forums like Twitter and Facebook provide a ready-made Rolodex of sources; “…dig further online, mine those contacts further, gain admission to private chat forums and eventually you will find instructions for bomb making”. Our young people are fully surrounded by digital media and these expose them to such social evils. Internet penetration continues to grow in Uganda, connecting more citizens to new digital media tools and platforms, particularly on internet-enabled mobile devices, in urban and rural areas alike; unfortunately, unlike in the mainstream media where content are highly controlled, internet freedom has not been subjected to the same level of surveillance. Therefore the unskilled young people are highly vulnerable to exposure to extremists’ persuasive ideology.