The Kyrgyz WASH Coalition and the Central Asian Alliance for Water (CAAW) launched a radio campaign to raise awareness of WASH issues in September 2009, to coincide with Global Handwashing Day on 15 October and World Toilet Day on 19 November. The campaign aimed to:
- provide a countrywide platform to reinforce and accelerate advocacy of WASH;
- inform the public about the diseases resulting from poor sanitation and hygiene practices;
- hold debates on WASH issues among stakeholders; and
- use journalists, popular singers, high officials and governors to advocate on the sector’s behalf.
The campaign enrolled youth and students, such as those attending Osh State University's Faculty of Journalism, as agents of change. These “change agents” prepared reports and a “WASH info box” for the dissemination of succinct information on WASH issues via broadcasts. Other formats included discussion panels, jingles and public service announcements.
While the panels united different sector stakeholders to discuss various WASH topics, public and popular figures shared inspirational and informative slogans to advocate for changes in behaviour. Popular radio stations from the north and the south of Kyrgyzstan aired the programmes (Almaz, Salam, Europe Plus, Kyrgyzstan Obondoru, Hit FM, and Dartz) in either the Kyrgyz or Russian language.
The Kyrgyz WASH Radio Campaign resonated exceptionally well with the public, which was an excellent incentive to launch a second edition in May 2010. Having run through November 2010, the subsequent campaign expanded to include quizzes about water, sanitation and hygiene. In order to reach more people, broadcasts were in all three main languages (Kyrgyz, Russian, and Uzbek).
