2024 Final Report: Poverty Alleviation Media Campaign – Amsterdam Southeast
The media organisations Voice of Naija, Mart Radio, Zuidoost TV, ADOM TV and Radio Vacilón Musical Latino Amsterdam jointly conducted a media campaign between November and December 2024 to inform residents of Amsterdam Southeast about the municipal support schemes available for people experiencing financial hardship. The campaign aimed to increase awareness of these schemes while reducing lack of knowledge, stigma and prejudice. This was the second joint campaign by the participating local media organisations. The 2024 edition focused particularly on working people and adults without children, as previous experience showed that households with children were generally more aware of the available support. This report summarises the evaluation forms submitted by the participating media organisations together with observations and discussions held during and after the campaign.
Introduction
The media organisations Voice of Naija, Mart Radio, Zuidoost TV, ADOM TV and Radio Vacilón Musical Latino Amsterdam jointly conducted a media campaign between November and December 2024 to inform residents of Amsterdam Southeast about the municipal support schemes available for people experiencing financial hardship.
The campaign aimed to increase awareness of these schemes while reducing lack of knowledge, stigma and prejudice. This was the second joint campaign by the participating local media organisations. The 2024 edition focused particularly on working people and adults without children, as previous experience showed that households with children were generally more aware of the available support.
This report summarises the evaluation forms submitted by the participating media organisations together with observations and discussions held during and after the campaign.
Content and Reach
• Mart Radio: Produced Dutch and Sranan radio spots broadcast five times daily and eight 60‑minute discussion programmes covering debt, municipal poverty support, food banks and neighbourhood services. Thousands of listeners were reached through radio, YouTube and live call‑ins.
• Voice of Naija: Produced two 30‑second radio/TV jingles and three 45‑minute interviews with professionals explaining the 'Pak Je Kans' scheme. Programmes aired repeatedly on SALTO TV and Radio and were distributed through major Nigerian community WhatsApp groups, reaching an estimated 20,000 households.
• Zuidoost TV: Produced three short drama sketches, one testimonial and re‑promoted three earlier campaign videos. Facebook, Instagram and TikTok generated particularly strong engagement, with several videos reaching more than 10,000–17,000 views and TikTok approximately 29,000 views.
• Radio Vacilón Musical Latino Amsterdam: Produced eight Spanish-language programmes informing residents about financial management, municipal services and neighbourhood support. Each programme reached approximately 300–500 listeners.
• ADOM TV: Produced seven English-language programmes featuring panel discussions, expert interviews and street interviews aimed primarily at the Ghanaian community and other English-speaking residents.
Audience Feedback
Across all participating media, audiences indicated that the campaign increased awareness of available support. Many appreciated hearing practical information in their own language. Stigma, fear of seeking help and concerns about privacy remained common themes. Several viewers contacted the participating organisations directly to request information about the Pak Je Kans scheme.
Challenges
The main challenges included scheduling professionals for interviews, language barriers, difficulty finding people willing to share personal experiences on camera, and limited time for collaboration between media partners.
Recommendations
• Begin preparations much earlier.
• Involve professionals, community leaders and people with lived experience from the outset.
• Improve cooperation between participating media organisations.
• Develop common branding and shared promotional materials.
• Increase multilingual communication and participation by formal support organisations.
Conclusion
The campaign successfully increased awareness of poverty support schemes among diverse communities in Amsterdam Southeast. Community-based media proved particularly effective in reaching audiences in their own languages and trusted communication channels. Future campaigns would benefit from stronger collaboration, longer preparation time and greater emphasis on reducing stigma through personal success stories.