With its series “Family affairs – how to become a political player” Learning by Ear takes its listeners inside the daily life of an ordinary African family and shows how political decisions occur even in everyday situations. The programme accompanies three siblings pursuing their personal dreams. Betty, the youngest, is a talented singer who wants to form a choir at school. Ronnie is crazy about football and wants to become the captain of his team. Eveline, the oldest, has just finished high school and would like to become a local councillor.

Understanding social and political processes

In the course of their actions, the three siblings have to face various obstacles. These problems are linked to specific social and political phenomena like leadership, corruption, coalition building, media reporting and party politics. Not all of the teenagers’ plans turn out to be successful, but Betty, Ronnie and Eveline learn from their mistakes. Above all, the young “political players” start to understand a lot about what political participation means in real life…

Learning by Ear is available in six languages: English, Kiswahili, French, Hausa, Portuguese and Amharic. Learning by Ear is supported by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office.