Abstract

Even the people of rural Africa living in traditional subsistence economies are affected by national development policies and the economic and technological changes around them. The role of rural development workers is to help rural inhabitants understand these changes and use them to their advantage, as other segments of the population have done. This project aims to improve the dissemination of technological information to peasants in Cameroon by training young development workers in radio and audiovisual techniques.

Post-Project Summary

Work focused on compiling and answering a list of questions most frequently asked by farmers; translating the questions and answers into English, Ewondo and Fefe; disseminating agricultural information to farmers by radio and other audiovisual means; setting up a specialized reference library on rural development; promoting exchange visits between farmers; and training a group of trainers in the use of audiovisual aids. An evaluator's report indicated that 87 out of a projected 100 questions and answers were prepared, but only one quarter of them were translated as planned. A 30-minute weekly radio program called "Rural Rendez-vous" was started and 40 broadcasts aired. It was estimated that 3 000 farmers listened to the program regularly, although no audience survey had yet been conducted. Some 1 300 slides, 9 cassette tapes, 22 reel-to-reel tapes and several photographs were prepared. A demand for simple, low-cost aids such as posters and flannellographs had yet to be met at the time of evaluation. A total of 117 volumes and 13 periodicals were added to the original reference collection of 75 volumes. It was not known to what extent the documents were used or were useful to the target clientele. Six exchange visits involving 168 farmers were organized over two years. Feedback from the participants was very positive: 100% of the 43 interviewed felt that the visits had improved their farming practices and were interested in participating in future visits. Trainers received a short course in the operation and use of the 35 mm camera. They indicated, however, that they would have preferred training in other audiovisual aids for use in their workshops and seminars. Specific recommendations emerged from the evaluation exercise and these formed the basis for a second phase of the project.

Recipient Institution(s)