Fo Rod (Crossroad) Radio Programme

Fo Rod is produced at different stations every year. The BBC WST selects four stations each year to receive six months of intensive mentoring by a BBC trainer. Following the training, the stations are assisted in starting up a local edition of Fo Rod. The programme is now also being nationally broadcast to 15 community stations through the Independent Radio Network.

An example of an issue addressed by the show is sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), produced as part of Fo Rod by community station Radio Wanjei in the Pujehun district. Producers quizzed the police, did interviews with local residents and the mother of a victim, all in the quest to identify why these crimes go unreported and what contributes to a seeming culture of silence. The show received a great deal of positive audience feedback and also led to increased reporting of cases of sexual violence, and has encouraged communities to follow up on cases. When the BBC World Service Trust’s audience researcher Hannah Hamida Karim engaged the community, they said that the show had encouraged them to report cases to the police and see it settled through the formal justice system. One resident said, "We can now see that magistrates are actually sitting on these cases and justice can be achieved simply by following up with the police after reporting it."

Gender-based violence, Democracy and Governance

The BBC World Service Trust has been working in Sierra Leone since 2007 on election coverage, reporting on human rights and governance issues, and on transitional justice.

Sierra Leone has historically had no Access to Information laws, although momentum has been building towards the adoption of a new law. The media is considered a vital way for citizens to communicate with their government. With national elections due again in 2012, programmes such as can Fo Rod enhance the capacity of citizens to make informed choices. Eighty percent of the population listens to the radio and poor literacy levels make it the first line of information for the most vulnerable communities.