A civic education road show called “If You Want to Know, Find Out Yourself” is currently traveling to Timor-Leste’s villages, attracting huge crowds of people. Through its support to local organizations Insight Timor Leste (ETIS), Bibi Bulak, and Radio Rakambia, USAID’s Small Grants Program encouraging the Timorese people to be pro-active in seeking out important information they need to become good citizens.

The three NGOs have one thing in common—they’re all experienced in delivering civic education messages.
For this campaign, they are hitting the road with a multi-media repertoire: a civic

education radio drama regarding the National Parliament and its roles and functions; a series of civic education videos on the justice system, environmental protection and youth in crisis; and documentaries about the Parliamentary elections and women in Parliament. Combining education with entertainment, the groups also perform musical concerts and conduct interactive quizzes that help deliver the messages.

“It was a very enjoyable and informative activity, with the quizzes and the music. We certainly learned and enjoyed at the same time,” said Tita Salsinha, who won the prize for the quiz in Ermera about the roles and responsibilities of the Parliament.

Organizing the activities involved close coordination with local leaders in the 65 locations covered by the campaign. Priests were enlisted to announce the activity after Sunday mass. Public service announcements were aired on Radio and Televizaun Timor-Leste, as well as on 11 community radio stations. The groups also made use of pamphlets and, to make sure everybody in the villages knew about the activity, a car with a megaphone drove around town an hour before the program began to remind people to go out and get informed.

The three groups divided their work geographically: ETIS is covering 25 locations in Liquica, Ermera, Covalima, Bobonaro, and Manufahi districts in the country’s west; Bibi Bulak is covering 18 locations in Aileu, Ainaro, Manufahi, and Dili, including the island of Atauro; and Radio Rakambia is covering 22 locations in the country’s eastern districts, including Manatuto, Baucau, Viqueque, and Lautem.

“If You Want to Know, Find Out Yourself” started in mid-December and ends in mid-March. The campaign is part of USAID’s broader effort to improve civic education and the people’s access to information in Timor-Leste. It primarily hopes to reach populations that are currently out of reach of Televizaun Timor-Leste.

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