Ghanaian radio station YFM and Apple Music are teaming up to broadcast Apple Music’s Rap Life Radio, Africa Now Radio and The Agenda Radio on YFM every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm starting on the 19th and 20th of November 2022.

With programming focused on entertainment and music, YFM will add Rap Life Radio presented by Ebro Darden, Apple Music’s Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B; Africa Now Radio presented by Dadaboy Ehiz, Nigerian media personality, television presenter and entrepreneur; and The Agenda Radio presented by Dotty, Apple Music 1 host and Lead Cultural Curator, Black Music, UK, to their line-up of shows.

“The culture of music in Ghana is thriving and it’s so exciting to be able to work with the incredible people at YFM to make Apple Music a part of that flourishing landscape. I can’t wait for our flagship Black music shows to reach a new audience in such an exciting part of the continent,” Dotty tells Apple Music.

“Yeah! What Dotty said! We are so honoured to be featured and to help contribute to all the great vibes coming from Ghana,” said Ebro.

The impact of music on our daily existence can not be underestimated and our ability to get it to the people via this syndication proves how much Apple Music cares about the audience at a terrestrial level. I’m super pumped to connect with my Ghanaian family and looking forward to growing the culture to a wider landscape,” said Dadaboy Ehiz

“YFM, is a subsidiary of Global Media Alliance, which is located and operates in Accra on the radio frequency 107.9FM, in Kumasi on the frequency 102.5FM and in Takoradi on the frequency 97.9FM, forming what is commonly referred to as the Y Triangle,” said Osei Kuffour, Head of YFM Triangle.

“Our target audience is Ghana’s young and youthful audience who are characterised by their imaginative, curious and ambitious nature. Over the years the Y Triangle has been able to attract massive listeners as a result of a high level of consistency since coming into existence in the year 2008. YFM employs a blend of lifestyle and entertainment shows and is the dial of choice for Ghana’s urban youth. We seek to continuously bring entertainment to the doorstep of our listeners and serve as a number one stop for the youth. It is in line with this that we are particularly excited to team up with Apple Music, and enforce our reputation in the Ghanaian market and globally,” concluded Osei Kuffour.

Weekly broadcast times on YFM will be as follows:

YFM Accra

• Africa Now Radio on Sundays (2pm-3pm)
• Rap Life Radio on Sundays (3pm-4pm)

 YFM Kumasi

• Africa Now Radio on Saturdays (3pm-4pm)
• The Agenda on Sundays (3pm-4pm)

 YFM Takoradi

• Africa Now Radio on Saturdays (6pm-7pm)

All three shows will be syndicated across YFM in Ghana, leveraging the radio stations’ audience and network to accelerate the acceptance and appreciation of African artists across the country.

In 2019, BBC Africa Eye reported on the journey of three young women – Scovia, Mercy and Esther – who left Uganda to find jobs as domestic workers in Kenya. Commonly referred to as ‘housegirls’, the documentary followed their journeys which illustrated the mistreatment and abuse faced by many domestic workers.

Three years later, in What Happened to the ‘Housegirls’? , BBC reporter Nancy Kacungira, revisits Uganda to find out how the lives of these three young women have changed and whether their hopes and dreams became a reality.

The documentary first features the story of Scovia, who in 2019 left Uganda for employment opportunities in Kenya to raise money for her education and to financially support her grandmother. Since then, she has given birth and returned to school. She told BBC Africa Eye: “My grandma advised me when I gave birth that I should go back to school.” Now Scovia dreams of being a lawyer: “In our community, men mistreat their wives. So when I become a lawyer maybe I can protect them from that.”

BBC Africa Eye also spoke with Esther, who in 2019 informed Nancy Kacungira about the mistreatment she faced in Kenya as a domestic worker. Also pregnant with her first child, Esther shared her determination to start her own fashion boutique. She said: “When I left Nairobi, I came here and started selling clothes for the business, the business was going well… But my father got ill, and I began to use my money to pay for his medicines. When Covid-19 happened, we had to operate shorter hours. So things went bad.” Yet, despite the challenges, Esther said: “I have a dream that when I restore my business, all shall be well.”

The documentary also highlights the story of Mercy, another domestic worker who in the first film, took her employers to court accusing them of cruelty. Despite losing the case, she told BBC Africa Eye she is thriving and working towards her goals as a chef. She said: “Right now I am very happy…I was doing that [domestic work] to get the money to go back to school to do the course I wanted… I wanted to do catering.”

What Happened to the ‘Housegirls’?, highlights the challenges around teenage pregnancy, which has resulted in many young girls not being able to complete their education.

BBC Africa Eye spoke with Simon Ogwang, who runs a charity centre which trains teenage mothers to become seamstresses. He said: “These girls are unable to continue with their education, so we give them specialised design skills to compete.” Simon revealed that there was an increase in teenage pregnancies during the pandemic. He said: “During the pandemic period, we witnessed a lot of teenage pregnancy. When they closed down their schools and these girls stayed out…you know the girls are vulnerable and some of them are at risk.”

Nancy Kacungira spoke with some of the girls enrolled at the centre to understand the stigma they face. One 18-year old girl told BBC Africa Eye: “People abuse me. They tell me that I am a disappointment, and I am very stupid… There are some words that cause bitterness in the heart.” However, reflecting on her experience at the centre she said: “By bringing me here, it has helped.”

BBC Africa Eye also spoke with Edith Murogo, the woman who helped Scovia, Mercy and Esther escape from domestic work, through her organisation, Centre for Domestic Training and Development. She revealed the impact the original documentary had on the organisation and other domestic workers. She said: “We have seen more referrals and our programme has grown. We got global visibility from the documentary and received more calls from people.” Reflecting on the progress of Scovia, Esther and Mercy she added: “I am really happy that each one of them are more focused and have a plan for their lives. That is what drives my passion.”

BBC Africa Eye: What Happened to the ‘Housegirls’? is now available on the BBC Africa YouTube channel here