THE MULTIMEDIA RESOURCE KIT AND HOW TO USE IT

Indeed, although applications such as the telephone, the computer are not very widespread, one evaluates at 70%, the number of households in Cameroon which have a radio station. The radio transmissions can thus be used to place at the disposal of the women of urban and rural zones, information which could help them to improve their income generating activity.
It is with an aim of facilitating the preparation of radio transmissions of reinforcement of the capacities of the micro-entrepreneurs women and reducing the costs, that this MultiMedia Ressources Kit (MMRK) was elaborated by PROTEGE QV under the auspices of the Commonwealth Connects Programme.

HOW THIS TOOL WAS ELABORATED?
On the basis of an on-site investigation realized in 2005 on 400 women and of a validation workshop realized in 2006, PROTEGE QV identified the information needs for the microentrepreneur women, their habits of listening to the radio and precise subjects on which they would wish to be better informed.

These subjects, gathered in seven great parts were entrusted to experts to work out contents answering the concerns expressed by the questioned women. In addition, a library search was carried out in library and on Internet to capitalize various works which were already done in the same direction.

At this stage, a first draft of the MMRK was elaborated.

This first draft was tested by two pilot radios (Radio YEMBA and Radio Rurale FOTOUNI in Cameroon) to detect the difficulties of assembling a programme of shows to support the micro-enterprise by using the MMRK. In parallel, groups of listeners followed the shows diffused on a purely pilot basis to evaluate the relevance of the contents.

The difficulties raised during this pilot stage, by the professionals of the pilot radios as well as by the groups of listeners, were taken into account to improve the MMRK and to publish the final draft.

PRESENTATION OF THE MMRK
The Multi Media Resource Kit (MMRK) gathers on only one support, a whole of resources relating to creation or the improvement of the management of the micro-enterprises. It is divided into seven (7) parts:
1. The starting of a micro-enterprise which will leave necessary qualities to the promoter, the choice of the idea to be implemented and until the market research;
2. financing of the micro-enterprise which will present the method evaluation of the requirements in financing and the various financing opportunities which are offered to the promoters
3. exigible taxes with the micro-enterprises and how to behave in the presence of tax inspectors
4. training and information: this part will index the different possibilities for reinforcement of the capacities of the micro-entrepreneurs by training as well as by the access to convenient information;
5. improvement of the production, agricultural and animal in particular for the rural promoters, as well as the methods of conservation and transformation to reduce the post-harvest losses and to increase the added value
6. the management of the micro-enterprise will present the various tools of follow-up of the production and the sale, necessary to the promoter
7. the flow of the products which is the final stage is conditioned by the quality of the products, the market, marketing, the intrants and the selling price.

The MMRK is produced on printed support as a book, on Compact Disk to be exploited using a computer on which the operating system Windows XP is installed, and on a Web site to be accessible from an Internet connection.

WHO IS IT INTENDED FOR?
The MMRK is intended for the professionals of the stations radios in charge of the preparation of the radio transmissions. It is conceived to be employed by the radio stations to work out and remote reinforcement training schemes of the capacities of the women microentrepreneurs of the rural and urban zones, by the means of radio transmissions.

Taking into account its richness, it can also be used by group trainers within the framework of face to face trainings, intended for the promoters of micro-enterprises.

Taking into account the three types of supports sheltering the MMRK, it is accessible to the greatest number.

HOW TO USE IT?
The MMRK can be used as principal base or complement of resources in the development of a programme of emissions of support to the micro-enterprise. On the basis of the needs identified for its audience, the professional of radio must identify the subjects having to be included in the contents of its program and to define its order. Then it can make its research in the bank of resources that is the MMRK and choose the topics being able to cover the identified subjects. From texts in French and in English and illustrated of MMRK, the user of the MMRK can consequently choose the format of its emission:
• the magazine: the text corresponding to the MMRK can be read just as it is;
• the interview: the user can invite a resource person and use the text of the MMRK to prepare the questionnaire for the interview;
• the round-table: the user must invite the resource people and the text of the MMRK can be used as basic presentation which is consequently enriched by the exchanges by the resource people.

The user can also according to specificities of his audience, translate the MMRK in a local language.

By gathering on only one support the necessary resources, the MMRK makes it possible for the stations radios to go up at reduced cost and in a very short time, a program of support to the micro-enterprise in rural and urban medium, while saving on the expenses which would have been necessary to make research on several sites and in several documents of resources necessary to assemble the aforementioned program.