Country: Zambia

Organization: Justice for Widows and orphans Project

Idea: On 22nd February 2003, United Nations Childrenýs Fund (UNICEF), Care International Zambia, Ministry of Youth and Child Development came together to facilitate the formation of a Media Network on OVC. The birth of a unique organization brought together ideas from electronic and print scribers for a common goal of protecting children.

UNICEF Head of Child Protection Unit in Zambia Gabirel Fernadez said the media network is the only media organization in the Southern African region that tackles issues concerning children. He suggested that the media network on OVC should be scaled up to the neighboring countries in the region such as Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya and Botswana.

He said journalists in all this countries work in isolations, but with the coming up of a media network on OVC, their efforts can be complimented.

One of the challenges of the Media Network was to train the media in children rights with a bias on Media ethics. With the devastation of HIV/AIDS in Africa, the leaving behind of so many orphans, and in some cases orphans who are themselves HIV positive, the media was faced with a challenge of how to report truthfully and at the same time look at media ethics that would protect children from ridicule.

How do you do it: Some media houses in trying to disseminate information on the dangers of HIV/AIDS went to the extent of using pictures of children living with HIV/AIDS. This was not helping children but instead, aggravated the situation.

Care International in Zambia provided the funding to the Media Network on OVC to ensure that the media personnel are all trained in Media ethics, Convention on the rights of children, and to persuade media houses to allocate part of their space to issues concerning children.

Media Network Chairperson Henry Kabwe said, his network with funding from Care International Zambia engaged in a consultant who went round the country to train Zambian journalists on issues concerning children.

Mr. Kabwe said in the past, the media would flush anything on Television, but after the sensitization, media personel are respecting the rights of children. Often times they were ignoring media ethics, as long as their newspaper was sold.

He said the Media network on OVC has trained journalists from 10 community Radio Stations in the country out of the more than 15 Community Radio Stations that are operating in the country.

He said the formation of the media network has helped to bring the media together, and in a way has allowed so many stories on children to be coming out.

Innovation: The formation of a Media Network on OVC, has become the talk of the entire Southern African region in the way that issues concerning children are coming out. The media Network has pledged at least for each media house to write at least one story that highlight the issues of children. And the stories are written by specialised Journalist that are trained.

On top of that, the Media Network on OVC, with support from Care International used to hold a monthly discussion on any given topic. The topic might be on whether the media are following up laid down procedure in the way they report. They would invite a Lawyer who would remind them on what is expected of them in their reportorial duties. This would later be reported in the media.

Impact: The Media Workshop work with young people by inviting them to training programmes, so that they are enlightened on their rights. For once the Media Network on OVC is encouraging members to give children a voice. This is done by dedicating an education pull out in the Post Nespaper every Saturday, while on Television, there is space for children on Wednesday. This has allowed the media and the children to work together. Instead o just reporting on children, they are also given a voice on issues that affects them. For once children are looking at the media as their partner, and so is everybody else in the country who believe the media for once have a compassion for children and not only reporting on sensational issues.

Ethical Action: The training of media personel in Media ethics has improved the way stories are coming out in our Newspapers. In the past, faces of abused children, even those that are infected with HIV/AIDS where being splashed as front page pictures, and others were forced to talk on Television and on Radio. But ever since the trainning, we have seen a reduction of such pictures and also we have seen an improvement in the way reports are coming out. many of the journalists that are trained are not only looking at selling the newspaper, but are also put much emphasis on ethical issues. The media Network on OVC has also circulated Media ethics to media houses and are also supplied on request to any organisation.

Replication: The training programme, started in Lusaka, the Capital City of Zambia. And after the training, Care International provided the money to train other Journalists in community Radio Stations. At least now more journalists have been trained in media ethics than before. It was also agreed that once the media are trained, they also train other Journalists that did not have an oportunity to be part of the training. Also theprovision of teaching materials to media houses with help from UNICEF has led to many Journalists to have acces to Media Ethics and on how to report on children. The Media Network is looking for more funding so that it can continue with the training to all parts of the country.

Sustainability: It was hoped that the media personnel are aready working in established Medi houses. And therefore they are using already established channels for their communications. This is estblished because no duplication is available and the materials that are used for teaching are left in the newsroom for other Journalists to use. The Media Network on OVC publish specialised publications on the mark days such as the Day of the African Child, World Aids Day etc.

These publications were sold, though the money realised was not enough. But despite that personel is aready there, and that is an assurance of continuity.

Position in the Ethics Mosaic of Solutions:

Factor: Ignorance of consequences

Principle: Building ability to care, uphold values, and make