Success Story: Layata Issa-Haque

Justice FM secretary, and budding journalist

Most mornings these days, I am at Radio Justice by 8am. That early start has only been for the past month. Previously, I used to arrive at the station at 9am. This detail is not as important as the reason for the change.

Every morning the driver for the station (when the car is working) comes to Jisonayili to pick-up Layata and myself for work. Layata is both my neighbour and the secretary at Radio Justice, and is one of the few staff members who have not been given a motorbike to get to work. While being picked up for work is a privilege, for Layata it is necessary to as taxi fares to work alone would take up most of her monthly paycheck.

The driver, Soldier, recently started to come at 7:30am at Layata’s request as she was beginning to present a health segment as part of the morning show. Her eagerness to expand beyond her secretarial duties has been more important to the both of us than the extra hour of sleep.

Seeing that she has a desire to enter the broadcasting field, I offered her an opportunity that would help gain more experience. In the past, she has faced a great deal of opposition in taking any steps that had her on-air. Other staff at the station have made substantial efforts to keep her from advancing in any area outside of her secretarial desk.

With the re-launching of “Freedom Thursdays” now placed during the morning show, I asked whether Layata would like to begin as host of the Human Rights focused show. We had a number of conversations where we discussed office politics, past obstacles, her career goals, and her own doubts and uncertainties. I persisted and continued to encourage her. I also worked behind the scenes to lay the ground with management for Layata to host the show.

It was clear that she really wanted to make that step, but had accepted that it was not something that she could do as things stood. Finally, she began to become assured that this was going to be possible.

At this very moment, she is reviewing research and preparing questions for an interview that she will this upcoming tomorrow morning. She will host “Freedom Thursdays” with her guest Gilbert Dere from the Carter Centre and will be discussing the Guinea Endemic that is plaguing Tamale and the surrounding areas.

After the initial task of providing the encouragement and environment where Layata is able to develop the skills and experience that she will need to pursue her career interest in broadcasting, there are a number of other steps.

In this first task, I have been acutely aware of hierarchal structures in the office. The idea of a Ghanian woman doing human rights reporting and interviewing is something that is not openly embraced at the station. Female voices on-air is one thing, but female minds on-air is another. Her position as secretary is also a hurdle. Even though she is often asked to operate the on-air studio in the afternoon when the assigned programmer does not show up, she has been discouraged from speaking on the microphone. With no advocate on her behalf, she had conceded that such was life.

As producer of “Freedom Thursdays” I am providing her with the support and encouragement to develop her skills so that they speak for themselves.

While we go through the preparation stages for the show (research, arranging the interviews, preparing questions, and developing a show plan), I notice that she has a lot to learn, but is learning very fast. Her desire, sharp mind, and initiative is inspiring.

The potential outcome of what we are doing is that Layata, with her talent, drive, is that she can have a career as journalist and radio presenter. Through “Freedom Thursdays” and collaborating on stories that we will broadcast on Justice and on Joy FM, Layata will be able to gain the skills that she needs and build experience and a reputation that will assist her in achieving her goals.

“I am happy that people who may not know how to do everything at the station are getting the chance to come up”, said Layata.

As for her thoughts on the process thus far, Layata said, “So far I have great interest in what I am doing right now because I am beginning to learn about how to interview someone on radio, doing research on questions that I am supposed to ask my guest, and learning more about the issues that we are going to talk about. I am also learning how to run the show from the start until the end”.

Our next stories will be on some Ghanaian ladies making shea butter soap, and that will be followed by a show on Trachoma.

I will also be doing some work with Farouza on her “Serious Issues, For Serious People” segment that she is adding to her show. Stories with Ramadan are also in the works.