Mudzi Wathu Community Radio Station - Malawi

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Mudzi Wathu Community Radio Station - Malawi

• Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
  (MOEST)
• Pilirani Chimutu
• Station Supervisor
• April 2009

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Malawi Community Radio Project Funding and
Implementation

• USAID/Malawi, USAID/Africa Bureau in Washington,
  DC
• American Institutes for Research (AIR),
  Washington, DC (EQUIP1)
• Creative Center for Community Mobilization
  (CRECCOM), Zomba
• Being implemented in Mchinji District, based at
  Mchinji Boma

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Malawi Community Radio Project (MCRP)

• Malawi Community Radio Project (MCRP) has two
  main components
• Produces and broadcasts Mmudzi Mwathu radio
  programs
• Established Mchinji Community Radio Station
  (known locally as Mudzi Wathu Radio)

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What is Mmudzi Mwathu Radio Program?

• A community-based radio program featuring local
  music and history of Mchinji District villages,
  combined with community-initiated strategies on
• prevention of HIV/AIDS (AB)
• support for orphans and others affected by
  HIV/AIDS
• reducing economic impact of AIDS

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Background to the Radio Station

• MWC Radio Station was established in the year
  2006 by a partnership by the American Institute
  for Research (AIR), Radio Systems In. (RSI), both
  based in the US, and the Creative Centre for
  Community Mobilisation (CRECCOM) of Malawi
  through seed funding from United States Agency
  for International Development (USAID).

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Background to the Radio Station - continued

• The seed funding ran from February 2006 to
  October 2006. Since November 2006 funding of the
  station is being done by CRECCOM with funds it
  raises locally through consultancies.
• The station came about as part of the In My
  VillageProject which aimed at reaching a lot of
  people in Mchinji District with messages
  promoting abstinence and being-faithful in the
  fight against HIV and AIDS.

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Background to the Radio Station - continued

• The project mobilized communities to support
  education for Orphans and other Vulnerable
  Children (OVCs), and promoting care for People
  Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs).
• It established 42 radio stations in various parts
  of Mchinji which serve as conduits for
  information dissemination and community
  mobilization to attain ripple effects.

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Background to the Radio Station - continued

• The listening clubs also served as hubs for
  community-based initiatives such as fund-raising
  activities and irrigation farming to raise food
  and funds to support OVCs and PLWHAs.

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Why Start Mchinji Community Radio Station (Mudzi
Wathu Radio)?

• Cost-effective transmits from existing Celtel
  tower on top of Mchinji Mt equipped in part by
  private resources donated in USA
• Promotes important dialogue in local languages
  about development issues that are meaningful to
  Mchinji villages
• Strengthens capacity of Malawian staff to produce
  and broadcast radio programs
• Creates critical new district level capacity in
  Mchinji for radio production and broadcast

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Mmudzi Mwathu Summary of Impact

• Because of local interest and support of Mchinji
  Community Radio and its program, Mmudzi Mwathu,
  local residents have taken ownership of
  strategies to prevent HIV/AIDS and local ways to
  respond to the impact of HIV/AIDS
• 42 listening clubs with trained local mentors to
  help communities shift from listening to action -
  includes finding needed resources
• 1600 village residents trained in OVC care and
  support through listening clubs
• District officials estimate 75 of Mchinji
  District residents are regular listeners to the
  program (243,706 out of 324,941 residents)
• MBC estimates 68 of Malawi listens Thurs 630 pm

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Mmudzi Mwathu Examples of Village Impact

• The National AIDS Commission provisional report
  in 2006 showed Mchinji District had highest VCT
  turnout during National VCT Week due to Mchinji
  Community Radio
• Kaphande Village learned from Chapakama Village
  episode to raise money to pay for OVC education
  supplies majority of club members including
  village chief also went for VCT
• Matutu Village learned from Kambuwe Village
  episode how to start a nursery school to relieve
  children who are heading households as a result
  of HIV/AIDS, so the older children can return to
  school

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Mmudzi Mwathu Examples of Village Impact
(cont.)

• Mchinji Community Day Secondary School Listening
  Club learned from multiple episodes to
  sensitize the community surrounding the school on
  prevention of HIV/AIDS through abstinence and
  being faithful
• Mponda Village learned from Mchitanji Village
  episode to use fish farming and bee keeping to
  raise money for OVC education and nutrition
• Kalulu Private Secondary School school-based
  listening club led to teaching entrepreneurial
  and vocational skills to help encourage youth to
  avoid high risk behavior for HIV transmission

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Mmudzi Mwathu Examples of Village Impact
(cont.)

• Kazilimani Village listening club started
  village-based listening clubs in two other
  villages with no stimulation from project office
• Nkunda Village learned from Mchitanji Village
  episode to start vegetable farming in order to
  support OVC and people living with HIV/AIDS
• Zulu Village Listening Club learned from multiple
  episodes to conduct sensitization meetings in
  their village on HIV prevention through
  abstinence and being faithful

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Challenges

• The most governance problem which the station is
  trying to address is that it made a mistake of
  making the District Commission Chairperson (DC)
  of its Advisory Board. This causes conflicts when
  government departments have their own interests
  and try to influence the station through the DC,
  who is a civil servant.

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Challenges - continued

• The station does not have a reliable transmitter.
  Both its original transmitters, from Radio
  Systems Inc. are out of order.
• The the station uses borrowed Studio-to-Transmitte
  r-Links (STLs) from a private radio station. Its
  original STLs had pre-set frequencies, which got
  condemned by the Malawi Communication Regulatory

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Challenges - continued

• Lack of the reliable transmitters and STLs forces
  the station to close down frequently. This
  negatively affects its revenue collection, hence
  faces financial problems.
• The volunteer broadcasters need more skills on
  radio  production training, interviewing,
  maintenance of equipment and marketing.

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How Does the Station Survive?

• As the original equipment (transmitters and STLs)
  for the station lasted for only three months, the
  station has been relying on a local NGO, CRECCOM,
  which to implement the In My Village Project. The
  NGO bought new STLs from Cape Town, which got
  damaged also.
• The station links with other radio station for
  technical support.

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How Does the Station Survive?

• The NGO, CRECCOM, has been lobbying for equipment
  from organizations like the National AIDS
  Commission, UNICEF and Kellog Foundation.
• The station networked with Breeze FM of Chipata
  for capacity building of its staff in 2006. Of
  course most of the staff trained are no longer
  with it.

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Pictorial Focus

• The radio station building and towers (on Mchinji
  Mt.) in view

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Pictorial Focus (continued)
Staff capacity building on studio management and
radio presentation by Radio Systems Inc.
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Pictorial Focus (continued)
A volunteers hosts community members in a live
panel discussion
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Pictorial Focus (continued)
Focus group discussions empowered even the
disadvantaged in society to voice their views
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Pictorial Focus (continued)
Sensitization empowered communities
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Pictorial Focus (continued)
Recording of programmes
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Pictorial Focus (continued)
One of vegetable gardens at Nkunda village
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Pictorial Focus (continued)
Nkunda Listening members giving learning items to
orphans
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Pictorial Focus (continued)
Pit latrines to a school which had none by
Kambuwe Listening club
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Pictorial Focus (continued)
A classroom shelter constructed by Kambuwe
Listening club
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Pictorial Focus (continued)
Even gule wamkulu champions dissemination of
information on HIV/AIDS
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• MANY THANKS