Dzimwe Community Radio - Malawi

Dzimwe Community Radio’s coverage area includes almost the entire district of Mangochi and parts of Ntcheu, Dedza and Balaka districts. Its programmes are broadcast daily by volunteer staff which include 3 programme producers, 8 presenters and announcers, and various support staff. Programming includes music request shows, health and population issues, and community activities. The station helped form and works with 15 radio listening clubs. These clubs consist of small groups of villagers who come together to listen to programmes, comment on them, and record their own stories and observations for broadcast by the radio station.

According to the organisers, given that the majority of Dzimwe listeners depend largely on farming and/or fishing, agricultural programmes are an important part of programming. The programme Ulimi Wokhazikika (Sustainable Agriculture) is broadcast on Monday and Thursday and promotes sustainable smallholder farming, good agro-forestry practices, and food security through dramas, poems, documentaries, and interviews. Tisodze (Fisheries Conservation) is broadcast on Tuesday and Saturday and aims to conserve Malawi’s fresh water fishery by making the community aware of legal and illegal fishing practices. Zachilengedwe (Natural Resource Utilisation and Conservation) is a programme designed to encourage sustainable management of resources, including processing of indigenous fruit trees and other wild resources into valuable products. According to the organisers, the programme has assisted people to introduce guinea fowl rearing, goat rearing, beekeeping as well as baobab, tamarind, and jujube fruit tree juice processing.

Health, Agriculture, Sustainable Development

UNESCO reports that about 87% Dzimwe listeners in Mangochi district cannot read and write and, therefore, depends on radio for news, education and entertainment.