Voices from the field: Bob Kuribil is learning from the radio, and sharing what he hears

Bob-Kuribil-Bolga-Ghana

Bob Kuribil is the most recent in a long line of guinea fowl rearers. He grew up in the Upper East Region of Ghana raising the birds along side his dad, as his father did a generation before. Despite his expertise, Bob said there was more to learn. When GBC Radio launched their two-year campaign on the guinea fowl value chain in 2015 with support from Farm Radio International, he was waiting by the radio set.

Bob was not only a regular listener, but a frequent contributor during the program, as were dozens of other farmers across the region. Training and support from Farm Radio’s ICT staff gave broadcasters the tools to include listeners’ voices directly in the program. Voicemails were stored in a database for hosts to easily access during the show. Farmers could respond to weekly polls that were used to measure the success, and tailor the content, of the broadcast. These, along with other mobile phone technologies, ensured farmers were at the centre of the campaign. “I found it was good to share our knowledge with those who don’t know or who want to come in [to guinea fowl rearing],” Bob said.

To hear Bob’s story and find out why sharing knowledge is at the heart of Farm Radio’s work, listen to the audio documentary.

Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) was a partner in the Radio for farmer value chain project, a five-year project that recently ended. This project was funded by Global Affairs Canada.Learn more about this project in Ghana.

About the author
Jordan Omstead spent the summer of 2017 working with Farm Radio in Accra through the Uniterra program.

 

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