Airborne initiatives

Amany Abdel-Moneim approves of young Egyptians playing a part in the making of television programmes that target them

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The Sotna team

"It was an amazing experiment," says 14- year-old Nouran, a member of the Sotna team. "I think it would be great if children made their own TV programmes. It's what I've been dreaming of."

Sotna (Our Voice) is the latest in a string of UNICEF initiatives aimed at enhancing Egyptian children's access to the media, and providing for a website as well as a TV show. Episodes of the latter brought some 30 children and adolescents into the studio to work alongside a professional video production team, contributing to the various phases of the process. Young reporters and presenters took their cameras into Egypt's streets as well, tackling decision-makers and public figures on such relevant, if problematic, topics as education.

Oliver Wilkins, director of the show, says, "I believe this pilot project will help Egypt's young to rise up to discussing the many cultural, social and lifestyle issues they themselves want to know more about."

In keeping with the theme of this year's International Children's Day of Broadcasting, the pilot episode tackled sports. A budding star of the future, 16-year-old Raneem El-Wellely, world junior squash champion, shared a day in her life with the audience. And Ahmed Hisham, the 14-year-old from Beni Sweif who interviewed football star Ahmed Hassan, for one, had been nominated by the Collation of Children Rights to join: "at the beginning I was a little anxious about interviewing my favourite star, but he encouraged me and the shoot went well." Hisham also declared the final children's recommendations at the Regional Conference of Violence against Children, held in Cairo early this year. Like most participants, he relished the new skills afforded by participation in Sotna. "I really enjoyed being a cameraman," testifies Mohab, 13, who contributed a video diary. "While I held the camera, I was really the director of the programme -- deciding on the décor, the background..."

The media is vital to raising awareness of global issues, but -- more importantly, perhaps, to shaping the lives of children. Yet according to Cairo University economist Sahar El-Tawila, recent studies point to a lack of meaningful participation in the media on the part of the 10-17 age bracket: "On arranging this programme, UNICEF approached me about doing a content analysis," El-Tawila recalls. "I found stereotypical children's programmes to be a far cry from their needs. The mainstream media will often overlook their issues and misrepresent their views." Fortunately as UNICEF Egypt Representative Erma Manoncourt explains, Sotna provides the age bracket in question with an opportunity to have a voice, giving them space in which to debate their rights. The well- known actress and former TV presenter and model Dalia El-Beheiri was among the media figures who attended the inaugural screening of Sotna. And she was very impressed indeed: "I am really proud of them despite the occasional mistake; they're just so spontaneous. I'd love to help bring about a new dimension to children's television in Egypt."

Wilkins was eager to point out that Sotna is committed to providing children and young people with professional aid that does not interfere with their viewpoints. Over time, he explains, participants will have developed enough skills to be mentors themselves, supporting a new generation of Sotna graduates.