In rural Guinea-Bissau, radios are more than entertainment. They are lifelines. With only 32 percent of the population online and just 12 percent in rural areas, radio remains the country’s most trusted source of information. It reaches more than 80 percent of households nationwide, making it a vital tool for connection and learning.
From Information to Interaction
For decades, rural voices were absent from national debates. Information moved in one direction, from institutions to villages. Communities listened, but they could not respond. That changed in 2024. Through the Bright Professional Opportunities and Youth and Women’s Empowerment for Community-Led Sustainable Development (BPOE) project, 45 interactive radio programs aired on Radio Sol Mansi, reaching families across Gabu, Quinara, and Bafatá.
The topics were practical and urgent: malaria prevention, child registration, women’s leadership, and peacebuilding. What made these programs different was participation. Listeners were invited to call, question, and share their own experiences.
A Tool to Amplify Change
Interactive radio builds on the impact of Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program (CEP). The CEP creates spaces for dialogue in villages, while radio carries those conversations further—from classrooms to airwaves, from one community to another.
Broadcasting in local languages ensures that the values of participation, human rights, and collective wellbeing reach even the most remote households. Radio becomes more than a channel of information; it extends the reach of community-led change and strengthens the national fabric of dialogue.
Voices Calling In
When the phones started ringing, it was clear something had shifted. More than 400 calls came in from across the country. Parents spoke about registering their children for school. Youth asked about training and job opportunities. Religious leaders called for unity and shared responsibility.
One listener from Gabu said, “We hear our own voices on the radio. It makes us believe change is possible, even here.”
The broadcasts carried the participatory spirit of Tostan’s education program beyond the classroom. Communities that had long been isolated were now shaping the national conversation. The impact went beyond information. Radio connected households across regions, turning scattered experiences into a collective movement for human rights and community-led development.
The Power and Limits of Radio
Radio is not a solution to every challenge. Its reach does not guarantee behavior change, and some groups—especially women without phone access—may still find it hard to participate. Yet in a country where the adult literacy rate is only 54% (and 52 percent for women), interactive radio bridges a critical gap.
It enables dialogue where written communication cannot. It gives communities the chance to speak, to question, and to learn from each other.
Radio in Guinea-Bissau does more than transmit sound. It carries the voices of rural communities, amplifies their hopes, and asks a powerful question: what happens when those voices begin to set the national agenda?