Chikuni Community Radio Station
In a groundbreaking move to bridge the information gap, the Tonga people of Chikuni Parish, with support from the Jesuit missions through Fr. Andrew Lesniara, S.J., and Fr. Tadeusz Swiderski, S.J., established a radio station. It has been broadcasting since 2000. From a few broadcasts in its early days, the station now airs seventeen hours a day, offering a variety of programmes that cover all aspects of integral human development.
From the outset, one of the station’s goals was to give the community the opportunity to create, participate in, and listen to programmes that affect the community as a whole. To this end, fifty-five listening clubs—each with no fewer than twenty members—were formed to discuss the issues they wanted to hear addressed on the radio.
Two members from each club were selected to complete the “Basics in Communication and Reporting” course, facilitated by Chikuni Radio staff. The participants were divided into four groups, each attending a five-day training session. After completing the course, the representatives held internal meetings within their clubs to share what they had learned with their fellow members.
In a groundbreaking move to bridge the information gap, the Tonga people of Chikuni Parish, with support from the Jesuit missions through Fr. Andrew Lesniara, S.J., and Fr. Tadeusz Swiderski, S.J., established a radio station. It has been broadcasting since 2000. From a few broadcasts in its early days, the station now airs seventeen hours a day, offering a variety of programmes that cover all aspects of integral human development.
From the outset, one of the station’s goals was to give the community the opportunity to create, participate in, and listen to programmes that affect the community as a whole. To this end, fifty-five listening clubs—each with no fewer than twenty members—were formed to discuss the issues they wanted to hear addressed on the radio.
Two members from each club were selected to complete the “Basics in Communication and Reporting” course, facilitated by Chikuni Radio staff. The participants were divided into four groups, each attending a five-day training session. After completing the course, the representatives held internal meetings within their clubs to share what they had learned with their fellow members.
The topics discussed include issues such as gender, culture, conflicts between tradition and modern life, agriculture, HIV/AIDS, health, leadership skills, and development in rural areas. The group members come up with an idea, conduct a survey, and record the programme in the villages. The recorded tape is then brought to the radio station, where it is reviewed and edited, with care taken not to tamper with the producers’ original material.
This is to ensure that the views of the interviewees are expressed freely. The radio station has a number of trained staff members, as well as occasional media scholars, all of whom work tirelessly for the community. Another important group considered part of the staff are the news gatherers, who make the radio more informative and interesting with their news items from the villages.
The station broadcasts from Chikuni Mission on 91.9 FM, with a coverage radius of over 70 kilometers. It reaches all 21 out-stations in Chikuni Parish and beyond, with an estimated potential audience of 250,000 (a conservative estimate). The station also reaches three other parishes: Monze, Mazabuka, and Choma.
The station broadcasts from Chikuni Mission on 91.9 FM, with a coverage radius of over 70 kilometers. It reaches all 21 out-stations in Chikuni Parish and beyond, with an estimated potential audience of 250,000 (a conservative estimate). The station also reaches three other parishes: Monze, Mazabuka, and Choma.