Maryam

For women who are largely cut off from public spaces and digital participation, simply having a phone in the household can create a meaningful health impact by allowing public messages to reach them passively. In such contexts, the burden of effectiveness shifts from the woman to public health systems, which must design for reach, legitimacy, and repetition rather than interaction.

How She Uses the Phone 

Maryam is 36, married, and lives on the outskirts of Kano with her husband, her co-wife, and four children. Most of her day is spent on domestic work and childcare. She did not grow up using phones and only began interacting with one after marriage. Today, she shares a basic button phone with her co-wife.

What first drew her to the phone was the built-in radio. Her co-wife often tuned in to religious programmes in the morning while they worked. Maryam listened alongside her, following sermons and Qur’anic teachings that felt familiar and appropriate. Over time, she continued listening even after the religious programmes ended.

That is how she started hearing local health programmes that came on next - discussions about pregnancy, child illness, nutrition, and caring for newborns. At first, she listened casually. But some of what she heard stayed with her. Maryam had a miscarriage in the past, and one of her children was sick often as a baby. When health programmes spoke about danger signs in pregnancy or caring for weak infants, she paid closer attention.

The voices sound authoritative, and the advice feels meant for families like hers. It also fits easily into her day. She listens while cooking, cleaning, or resting, without having to search, read, or ask questions. Unlike phones or social media, the radio does not feel confusing or risky, and it does not attract attention or scrutiny within the household.

Sometimes, when she hears advice about childbirth or caring for girls, Maryam thinks not only about herself, but about her daughter, who will be married in a few years. ​“These things will help her one day,” she says quietly. For Maryam, listening has become a way of preparing, both for her family now, and for what is to come.

Her Ecosystem of Learning and Facilitation 

Maryam learned how to use the radio on the shared phone through her co-wife. When the phone first came into the household, Maryam did not know how to turn on the radio or change stations.

They often listen together. When a programme about health or children comes on, they slow their work and pay attention. ​“If it is about sickness or pregnancy, we listen carefully,” Maryam says. Afterwards, they sometimes talk about what they heard, repeating advice or reminding each other later. If a child falls ill, they recall a message from the radio and discuss what it said.

Maryam does not seek information beyond what comes through this routine. Learning happens through repetition and shared listening, not exploration. Hearing the same messages again and again, in a familiar voice and format, helps her remember and trust them.