The bicycle taxi business popularly known as boda boda is a major source of livelihood for most households in Western Kenya. With an estimated 400,000 men relying on the bicycle for their daily income, there are many untold success stories and challenges behind the bicycle taxi business.Feeding the families,paying school fees and medical fees for family members,constructing good houses,raising capital for other businesses,keeping fit and protecting the environment are some of the stories.The project aims at bringing out these stories behind the bicycle taxi.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Kakamega
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
We shall be working with boda boda operators in Kakamega county who operate between the town and remote villages.They are organized in groups of about 20 cyclists at specific locations reffered to as boda boda stages.They range between 18 and 40 years of age,with some few who are in their fifties.There are over 20 boda boda stages around Kakamega town and we plan to start with them.Their levels of education vary from those who are totally illetrate,those who completed primary education,those who didn’t complete secondary education and those who completed secondary education.Some of them are married and have families while others have dependants to look after.Some youth enter the business to save money to join tertiary institutions and colleges.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
ZETU MEDIA SERVICES has a team of professional video editors, radio producers, computer trainers and University Mass Communication interns who will assist in training and implementing the project.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
Interviews
Radio & TV features
Multimedia pieces
Music, Dance and drama
Radio plays
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
Since ZETU MEDIA SERVICES started operating three years ago,several boda boda operators have been seeking to record their song at the facility.Most of the staff at the organization have been using the boda boda services to commute,Most of the boda boda operators have been delivering clients the premises.
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
The proposed project will train around 20 cyclists each representing one boda boda stage. But when the demand goes higher, we shall have to increase the number. These will be the key people to mobile the rest. Each boda boda stage has a leader and we shall invite them for the training.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
Podcasts,Video editing
Video recording
Audio recording
Photo editing
Desktop computers
Audio recorders
Video cameras
Podcasts
DVDS & CDS
Facebook
Yutube,
Projector
Desktop computers
Loud speakers
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
The workshops will be held at ZETU MEDIA SERVICES. The premise has has three desk top computers, one mac computer, three laptops and 2 internet modems 3G+. There are 4 rooms with computer desks and electricity sockets. The computers are already installed with Sony Vegas 7 video editing software and adobe audition 3.0 for audio editing. The mac computer has final cut pro 10. There monitor speakers to listen to the sound. More than 10 pieces of headphones. for the training.A printer and some digital cameras.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
ZETU MEDIA SERVICES is a company providing hands on training and services in music production, music lessons, radio production, video and photography to the community. It also gives consultation in media related areas. Skills in song composition, drama, theater, dance, radio plays, features, adverts, film and documentary, piano and guitar lessons, photography and TV production, event organization etc. Radio and TV content, audio and visual CDs, Radio and TV adverts, Photographs. This makes it the most appropriate organization to implement this project.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
Illiteracy among the group may be challenging to teach train in computer skills.Some of them are engaged most of the time hence we may have to schedule trainings on Sundays.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
The level of understanding among the selected boda boda riders on using the tools and narrating the stories. The amount of indigenous knowledge that existed before the project and the amount recorded after the project.
The level of interest among the listeners for such skills and knowledge when the program has taken off and the demand that will be created.
The experience the boda boda riders will have gained in packaging knowledge and how they can be able to communicate with others.
The number of stories shared after the project.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
May 2014- Selection of the boda boda cyclists/ Training/Purchase of equipment.
June 2014- Field work starts
July 2014-First video and audio features ready to be shared with the public on social media and the local TV and Radio stations.
August 2014- Collecting comments from the public on what topics they want to be covered.
September-Second training workshop and appraisals for the first phase.
October-December- launch of the Indigenous Knowledge data bank DVD and CD
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
NO. Item No. Of units Description Estimated Cost @ Unit in $
1 Video Camera 1 (Used) Sony HDR-CX580V 700
2 Audio Recorders 2 Zoom H4N 600
3 Microphones 2 Rode Reporter Mic 430
4 Tripods 1 100
5 SD cards 4 32GB 30
6 Batteries 2 NPFV70 40
7 Field transport 12 2 Audio and video features production per Month.600
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
Promoting our work on other social media outlets and helping us launch the production DVDs and CDs
Contact name
Pius Sawa Murefu
Organization
ZETU MEDIA SERVICES
4 comments
It is a good project. As government thinks that boda boda business is a source of income or one way of economic empowering the riders, there are many health and security challenges that come along with it. I hope Zetu Media Services bring them out to influence the policy making in the country. I wish you all the best,
This is indeed a viable project with great economic potentials. Considering the transportation needs of rural African communities, this project will increase awareness on the use of bicycles as healthy alternative.
I would love to see how the boda boda can be replicated in Ghana.
a very interesting topic
This is a bright idea considering the fact that the anticipated project will bring out the stories about the realities on the ground. Perhaps by telling their success stories, many contemporary cyclists will have lots of lessons to learn. Upon successful implementation of the project, i foresee a possibility of wide-arrays of innovations emanating from the story telling.