Voice artists record Public Service Announcements for Another Option in Nepal.

In support of the USAID Early Grade Reading Program (EGRP), Another Option in Nepal recently completed the translation and recording of four radio public service announcements in ten local languages. The translated recordings are being broadcast on 20 local radio stations across rural Nepal. The radio announcements are part of Another Option’s ongoing outreach to caregivers and teachers of grade one to three children and important adults in their lives.

Radio is an important tool in the behavior change communications toolbox, especially when reaching out to people living in rural areas. In a country such as Nepal where a majority of the population lives outside urban centers, radio remains the most powerful and cost-effective medium for mass outreach. In addition to providing entertainment, radio serves as an information hub for parents, teachers, and other adults who work with children. In fact, qualitative data collected in support of the EGRP outreach in 2015 has confirmed this in the Nepalese context.

The Early Grade Reading Program is a five-year project to support the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology to improve the foundational reading skills of Nepali primary school students in grades one through three. Another Option provides technical assistance in social and behavior change communication with an emphasis on mass media, advocacy and public awareness to increase family and community support for early grade reading.