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After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. 

Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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Mr Condom and me

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Author: Boyd Chibale, July 25 2014 - "Well, I am made of latex, and I come in lots of different brands, shapes and sizes. I am anything from small to extra-large, strawberry and banana flavoured," says Mr Condom, one of the stars of a brand new radio show in Zambia. "Sex is still sweet with me and you save yourself stress about STIs [sexually transmitted infections], HIV and unwanted pregnancies."

Mr Condom appears on Tikambe Natulande, a show broadcast on Radio Mkushi which aims to get young people talking about sex, STIs and how to prevent HIV/AIDS – a taboo subject in Zambia. (Tikambe and Natulande mean "Let's Talk" in Nyanja and Bemba languages respectively). Listen to another clip of Mr Condom on Soundcloud.

Mr Condom is only a small part of a much larger sexual and reproductive health programme in Zambia which BBC Media Action is running in partnership with the youth-led development organisation, Restless Development.

As well as the radio show, over the next three years we’ll be creating TV shows, broadcasting from live events and building a community on Facebook where young people can find out how they can stay healthy.

Let's talk about sex

Every week two community radio stations – Radio Mkushi in Central Province and Radio Kasama in Northern Province – and the state broadcaster Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) each make their own local version of Tikambe Natulande.

The shows are a result of intensive training we've run with the stations since May this year. Through practical sessions focusing on writing, recording, editing and interviewing, our trainers helped the stations to develop the programme's format. The stations' journalists and community journalists also learned how to cover sexual and reproductive health issues.

We've been careful to make sure the shows are not just made for young Zambians, but also made by young Zambians. The presenters and producers are all aged between 16 and 22 and know how to appeal to their peer group.

The resulting mix of music, entertainment and information all combine to make Tikambe Natulande one of the first radio shows in Zambia where young people can openly and freely talk about sex. 

Breaking the taboo

For example, in a vox-pop [street interviewing] with people on the streets of Mkushi town, local people talked about the stigma attached to buying condoms. As one Mkushi girl says, "I have never bought [condoms] before but I think it would be embarrassing as a lady to buy them."

We're now starting to gather audience feedback on the first episodes which we'll use to improve the show. But if the experience of the programme's staff is anything to go by, Mr Condom is already having an effect.

Wisdom Lunkuntwe, one of the producers of Tikambe Natulande on Radio Mkushi told me, "The programme is opening my eyes. I am now able to walk into a hospital and collect free condoms."

Here's to hearing more from Mr Condom!

Click here to access this BBC Media Action blog and related links on their work in Zambia.
Image credit: BBC Media Action


Contact:
BBC Media Action
BBC Media Centre, MC3A, 201 Wood Lane
London
W12 7TQ
United Kingdom (UK)
Phone: 44 (0) 20 8008 0001
Fax: 44 (0) 20 8008 5970
Media.action@bbc.co.uk