Community Radio A Success Story in Zimbabwe

Briefly, the Development Through Radio (DTR) project is a two-way communication tool aimed at the grassroot women using the radio. The project works this way: Federation of African Media Women, Zimbabwe, (FAMWZ), initiated this project in partnership with the national broadcasting corporation, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). In Zimbabwe, our airwaves are not yet liberalised so the state has a monopoly.

FAMWZ uses existing structures established by the Association of Women's Clubs to draw membership for the DTR project.

The state monopoly on airwaves, as far as this project is concerned, has worked to our advantage, because through this partnership the DTR project is aired on national radio, giving it a wide listenership.

Recording under a tree

The project operates in four of the country's 10 provinces. Each province has several listening clubs with 10-15 members within reach. Once a week, women involved in the project gather around a radio receiver under a tree and record issues affecting them in their area as they discuss. Topics are as wide as politics, social concerns like health and education or income generating projects.

Two DTR co-ordinators, employed by the ZBC, then go round the villages in their respective regions and collect the cassettes. These are played back in the national studios.

Responses are sought from relevant officals if needed and packaged into a programme which is aired on a specific day. The women listen to this programme. If satisfied, they move on to other issues or carry out follow-ups.

Self-help projects

The outcome of this project has been an exchange of self-help projects, ideas on improving existing income-generating projects, awareness creation on national issues, opportunities for adult literacy and initation of income generating projects based on information received on air. These are some of the projects that IAWRT members visited on a site visit duering the IAWRT regional meeeting in Harare.

The project has been very successful in Zimbabwe, particularly for its immediacy in responses and also because it cuts accross literacy barriers.

Spreading to 14 countries

The project has now been introduced into the SADC region, which comprises 14 countries in Southern Africa. A regional co-ordinator has been appointed and training for media women as well as grassroots is being effected.

Other SADC countries with liberalised airwaves like Malawi, Zambia and South Africa also have community radio stations, but these do not broadcast nationally like the DTR project.

Funding for this project initially came from UNESCO and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) who provided training of the monitors and equipment. Other donors like DANIDA have now taken an interest following the evaluation of the project.

Elizabeth Karonga

Source: THE IAWRT QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 2000