International Day of Rural Women is observed on October 15 every year to recognize their vital role in food systems and rural development. From the production of crops to the processing, preparation and distribution of food, women’s work paid and unpaid feeds their families, communities and the world. However, they do not exercise equal power with men, and therefore earn less income and experience higher food insecurity. To mark and
Seydou Camara describes himself as a “country lover.” And, as the son of a farmer, he knows a lot about agriculture. These qualities help him to prepare his radio programs, and particularly to prepare for field visits. Mr. Camara has worked at Radio Wassoulou in Yanfolila, Mali, for nearly 10 years, where he is a host. “Naturally, I like to serve people and in my opinion, media is a great
The Liz Hughes Award for Her Farm Radio recognizes excellent radio programs that serve women listeners. Winning radio programs explore and advance gender equality; for example, by sharing the experiences and opinions of women, addressing topics of importance to women, underlining the role of men in gender equality, etc. The award is given to the team of people who make this program happen, including the manager(s), producer(s), host(s), presenter(s), reporter(s), technician(s), and
Farm Radio International will be hosting a webinar to discuss our VOICES Standards for interactive radio programs. As a broadcaster, you want your radio program to be useful, interesting – even empowering, for rural people. And you want it to have a wide audience of both women and men. To help you, we have pulled together “best practices” of broadcasters, and have grouped them in a way that will be
What is Uliza? Swahili for “ask,” Uliza was first developed as a tool for audience polling. It has since evolved into a suite of services that combine radio, mobile phones and, often, interactive voice response systems to enable listeners to communicate and exchange information with their radio station quickly, easily and free of charge. How does it help? Broadcasters access audience data in real time through Uliza’s digital dashboard, which
Farm Radio International has developed a list of commonly used radio program production terms in North America, and a few other terms that are used at Farm Radio International that might be useful in understanding how to produce effective radio programs for a variety of audiences. African broadcasters have also revised and included terminology common to their work. Its purpose is to provide guidance and clarity both for FRI team
Mashed potatoes, French fries, hash browns … Potatoes are an integral part of many people’s diet. Potatoes are a staple crop in Nigeria, playing a vital role in food security and nutrition. Potato farming in Nigeria is serious business: the west African country is the fourth-largest producer of potatoes in sub-Saharan Africa. However, Nigerian potato farmers often have low yields compared to regional averages. Why is that? Farmers often use
Calling all African broadcasters and stakeholders to join us for an exciting online discussion on collaboration from July 3 to July 28! Effective collaboration between broadcasters and stakeholder groups such as farmers’ organizations, extension workers, researchers, women’s and youth organizations, and other civil society organizations can help improve the quality of rural communication services. This collaboration can improve the quality of information provided on air and lead to increased funding
In rural Africa, small-scale farmers are the lifeblood of their communities. They feed their country and community and contribute to local and international economies. Farmers have their finger on the pulse of local agricultural practices and weather patterns. However, rural Africans are rarely consulted when governments and other organizations develop solutions to improve food systems, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and address other global challenges. It can be difficult
It’s a Monday evening, and Adja Malado Diakité sits down behind the microphone at Radio Wassoulou in Yanfolila in southern Mali. She’s about to deliver her weekly radio program, Mousso djôyôrô, or “the place of women in society.” At first glance, Adja seems like a pro behind the microphone. It’s true that she’s received plenty of training and, at this point, is used to speaking on air. But Adja hasn’t always
