Communication campaign for Community Change
Introduction of My community;
My community is the people who live in the surroundings area in the river bank of the Akaki. The communities’ life is dependent on the River of Akaki. This river means an issue of life for this community.
Now a day this river become one of the most polluted river in the country. This is because of the unplanned expansion of a city of Addis Ababa, the capital city and establishments of industries in the river area. As a result the life’s of this community is affecting dramatically.
Due to the expansion of cities and establishments of the industries, the river is highly polluted. As a result the community is affecting badly. Their farm decrease, their animals are dying. In the past the community uses the water for many purposes including for domestic service, but now it’s difficult.
I selected this community for this course, because I’m closely working with this community. So I will put the project topic, the shared vision, current situation and current destination of this community as follows.
Project topic:
Clean and protect Akaki River for health life of the community who lives along the river side of Akaki River.
Shared Vision:
We want to see a clean and pollution free Akaki River for the healthy and better life of the people who live along the river bank
Current Situation:
Akaki is the river which is found close to the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. The capital is currently growing dramatically and also expanding to the farm area. Among this area the Akaki River is the most affected one.
The community who settled around this river named as Akaki community. Before a few years ago this community uses this water for farming, for their animal, for washing and domestic uses and also for drinking too. But, now it becomes hard to use for drinking and domestic use.
There are also different leather and beer factories around the river area. Among these factories some of them have no wastages management. So they release their wastage in to the river.
As result of the expansion and lack of wattages management in some of the factories around the river area, Akaki River becomes one of the most polluted rivers in the country. The Akaki community is currently suffering as a result of this pollution. This community has a constitutional right to live in healthy and clean environment. There normal way of life is affected as a result of the river pollution.
The government, owners of the factory, and other non-governmental organizations needs to work together to stop further pollution in the river and to find a way to compensate the Akaki community and to give guarantee for the future of clean and healthy environment for the community living along the river bank.
Current Destination:
If the current situation of pollution don’t change fundamentally, the livelihood of the Akaki community will be affected negatively, their farm become not effective, the ecosystem become affected, the farmer become dependent and the health of the community become in danger.
Constraints:
- Lack of good law enforcement government organ which implement different laws of the country in regard to environmental issues.
- Government policy which focuses on industrializations, without considering the environmental situations.
- Negligence by the resident of Addis Ababa city, releasing wastages into the river contributors.
- Lack of non-governmental organizations, which works and force the government to give attention to the environmental issues.
- Lack of good wastages managements in industries established around the river area.
Opportunities;
- Communities’ awareness in regard to river pollution.
- The young generation in the community, who are more concerned about the river pollution issues.
- The current global concern on environmental changes, which may force the government to give high attention to the situations
Communication objective:
- Organize the community to minimize the Akaki river further pollution.
- Work together to find out a solution to get a way to compensate the community.
- Work with the owner of the industries to find out a solution.
Program Name:
Clean and protect Akaki River for healthy life of the Akaki community.
# Key benefits:
- Behavioural/awareness change
- Economic change
- Social/Way of life change
# Support points:
Among these three key benefits, the Awareness/Behavioral change is one of the winning key benefits. It’s one of the basic and winning benefits. This is because the awareness of the community is changed; they will be in a position of challenging the pollution situations in the Akaki River. They will have a power to bargain with the owner of the industries and also they will be in a position to enforce the government to implement what is written in the laws.
Reason for Conducting the Campaign:
River pollution in the Akaki community is one of the biggest challenges they are facing currently. Their life is highly dependent on this river, as a result anything which affect the river directly affect this community. Therefore the community needs to have a campaign to get attention and to disclose the situation of the rivers to the government, environmental activists, local and international organization, and the owner of the industries.
What I want to achieve at last by the campaign is to see a community who clearly understand the situation in the river and stand for his/her right to live in clean and healthy environment and make them to fight for their rights.