- Our office: Addis Ababa
- Our areas of focus: unsafe and illegal migration, health, media development
- Our donors and partners: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UNHCR, Global Affairs Canada, Unicef, Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), International Media Support (IMS), European Union (EU), Internews, David and Lucile Packard Foundation
- On social media: BBC Media Action Ethiopia is on Facebook and on Twitter.
About our work
BBC Media Action has been working in Ethiopia since 2001 to provide people with reliable, trusted information to help keep themselves and their families healthy, as well as building the capacity of local public-interest media and journalists.
For instance, our BabyWASH project encouraged better hygiene practices by mothers and fathers of children under three to help reduce incidences of often-deadly childhood diarrhoea. And two popular radio shows - Jember and Biiftuu Jireenya – addressed better reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health, together reaching 21 million people over three years.
We work on migration issues to show the realities of refugees' daily lives, to dispel rumours, inspire hope for the future and communicate the risks of unsafe and illegal migration. And Ethiopia is one of three countries in our Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development (PRIMED) project, in which BBC Media Action is leading a consortium of expert media for development organisations.
Ethiopia was also part of our multi-country response on the COVID-19 pandemic funded by Global Affairs Canada, reaching audiences with trusted and timely media content about how to protect themselves, when and how to seek treatment and to dispel myths and rumours, while supporting local media in their reporting on the crisis and working with the wider humanitarian and government sectors.
We also provide workshops to community radio and media practitioners to increase conflict sensitive and inclusive media coverage in Ethiopia. The project, funded by the EU in partnership with Internews, addresses digital media literacy of young people, focussing on mis/disinformation and fact checking through training and our podcast “Le’Arada”. Arada (አራዳ) is an Amharic word with many meanings, including 'cool', 'active', 'swag' and 'woke'! The podcast is designed to appeal to the types of 'cool’ and 'active' people who use the digital world to ensure audiences are more resilient to false and/or deliberately misleading information.
Latest news
Read more blogs from Africa-
A 'cool' podcast for digital media safety
Our new Amharic language podcast, Le'Arada, for young people on digital safety has launched! -
Telling the real stories of refugees
Refugees are artists, youth educators, community leaders, filmmakers, parents - watch our films about their daily lives, their resilience and adaptability. -
How communication supports young Ethiopians to find employment
Our five research briefings sought to better understand young people in Ethiopia, by assessing their information needs, networks and community roles, and examining how media and communication can help them fulfil their aspirations. -
A radio lifeline: supporting Ethiopia’s rural communities through climate change
Ethiopia faces severe challenges from extreme weather linked to climate change, and environmental problems linked to human activity. Our Ethiopia country director explores the role of media and communication in reaching the country’s remote and rural population with solutions and support. -
Supporting public interest media in Ethiopia
Two years on from hosting the Unesco World Press Freedom Summit, Ethiopia’s media landscape is facing many challenges. Our project manager for PRIMED – Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development – looks at how we are supporting public interest media in the country. -
Continuing the fight against COVID-19 in Ethiopia
Amid unrest and pandemic fatigue, our Ethiopia team is working to deliver trusted information about COVID-19. Our social media producer Annis Tefferi shares a behind-the-scenes view. -
Addressing indoor pollution in Ethiopia
How our radio drama is helping improve people’s health in Ethiopia by drawing attention to the harmful effects of traditional ways of cooking, heating and lighting homes.
Our projects in Ethiopia
-
Negat: A new 'dawn' for young people in Ethiopia
Our radio and TV programme, Negat (Dawn), is challenging stereotypes and inspiring young people to seek out new opportunities. -
Protecting independent media for effective development
We are working with media support organisations and local partners to find out how best to support public interest media in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. -
How communication can address unsafe migration through and from Ethiopia
This programme focused on providing information and forums for discussion about unsafe and illegal migration so that people could make informed decisions. -
BabyWASH: Reducing childhood diarrhoea through radio
We encouraged healthier hygiene practices by mothers and fathers in Ethiopia to help protect children from often-deadly conditions such as diarrhoea through radio, community discussion and training with health workers. -
Using radio to address indoor air pollution in Ethiopia
Air We Breathe was a health-focused project in the Oromia region of Ethiopia addressing indoor air pollution through radio and public service announcements. -
Building resilience to extreme weather through radio
Radio programmes and mobile phone services have helped improve farmers’ access to accurate weather information in Ethiopia.
Our insight and impact
Use our research library-
Helping media partners better understand and engage their audiences
This summary looks at findings from ongoing research under the PRIMED project, which helps media partners build a picture of audience profiles and needs to equip them to improve output. -
What role can communication play in supporting young Ethiopians to succeed in employment?
These five research briefings sought to better understand young people in Ethiopia, by assessing their information needs, the networks that impact their decisions and community roles, and the role of media and communication in supporting them to realise their aspirations, succeed in employment, and lead healthy, active lives. -
How is a radio drama helping to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) among young children and their caregivers in Ethiopia?
Diarrhoea poses a great risk to young children in Ethiopia, and high rates of communicable disease - including diarrhoea - are linked to dirty water and poor sanitation and hygiene practices, our 'BabyWASH' project aimed to change that. -
Improving reproductive, maternal and newborn health using health communication in Ethiopia
BBC Media Action (funded by a Global Grant from the UK's Department for International Development) embarked on a project that aimed to improve reproductive, maternal and child health in Ethiopia. This report evaluates the impact of the project over five years. -
How listening groups are adding value to the Ethiopian Health Development Army
This summary describes how volunteers gain new, valuable knowledge about maternal and child health. -
Story of change: Dugo Boru and Aye Bejiga, Ethiopia
Dugo Boru wouldn't allow his pregnant wife Aye Bejiga to visit a health centre. But the radio programme Biiftuu Jireenyaa helped him change his mind. -
Story from our work: Hilina Assefa, Ethiopia
Watch how our radio programmes in Ethiopia give pregnant women and their families valuable health information. Hilina Assefa describes why the programmes are underpinned by rigorous health research.
Past projects and resources
-
Improving maternal and neonatal health in rural Ethiopia
Radio programmes Biiftuu Jireenyaa and Jember delivered life-saving information to women and their families. -
Breaking the silence around sexual health in Ethiopia
From 2006 to 2010, a pioneering radio programme for young people helped to encourage discussion about sexual health issues in Ethiopia by bringing taboo subjects to the fore.
