Partnership With Community RadioS

More than 60 people representing different institutions, both at national regional and international 1evels, met for two days in Maputo on 23 and 24 July, and discussed ways and means of establishing sound, long lasting partnership relations with the eight community radios with support from the Media Project.

From the long preparatory period of almost two years, with the towards the establishment of legally responsible civic organizations, through the time when basic- conditions had been created for the actual setting up of the eight stations, and the communities could starting airing their own voices - it has been a long way of hard work, whereby theories had tore harmonized with they-to-day lessons learnt from the field

If “sustainability” has since the beginning been the key word, and the stations have been on air for almost a period of two years now- then the time has come for the management structures of the stations to know more or less accurately what would it take for them to ensure that the community radio do have the necessary means and resources to keep sending their messages through the waves…

We all know that no community radio station in rural Mozambique – or elsewhere in a developing country – is known to be self sustainable. Sustainability of a community radio requires, therefore, a well identidied set of strategies, including partnerships, that can help the radio responding to its technical financial and human resources needs, with continuous and adequate training … the more diverse this group of partners is the more capable the station is likely to be ensuring its long term existence. So this was the subject behind the conference held in Maputo with representatives from the eight radio stations and potencial partners from a universe as diverse as the following organizations: AMARC Africa, Panos Southern Africa, the European Union, the Mozambique Foundation for Community Development, the Netherland Institute for Southern Africa, and relevant Government Institutions. The conference was of a capital opportunity for the management structures of the radio stations to explain to their potential partners their strategic plans, focusing on some priority areas, training. Training Technical sustainability programmes were confirmed as the critical areas to deserve strong strengthening approaches with support from different partners

Community Multimedia Centres

Two of the UNESCO partners community radio stations, the one in Cuamba and another in Dondo, took part in a Pan African Symposium on Community Multimedia Centres (CMC) which took place in Dakar, Senegal June 12-17 this year

A CMC is defined as a communication resources public location, that my include at least a community radio and telecommunications unit – as such facilitating communication for the community at different levels. Based on intensive exchange with the other 60 participants from all over Africa, the two UNESCO partners stations will during the next six months work on how to turn these new, exciting perspective into a local Mozambican reality.

Sustainable BAOBAB in Tete

The association of independent print media in Tete have agreed to merge the plans of more than 10 individual publication projects into one (initial) monthly publication, which will carry the name of the native and very symbolic three of Tete, the Baobab – or “Embondeiro”in Portuguese. Whereas the nature of the Baobab is to be extremely resistant of any kind of whether condition, the group in Tete had a two-week intensive on the job training in Maputo, through attachment to different media day-to-day working environment and coaching. The team included three people for the following components: Editorial, computerized newspaper layout and administrative and financial sector.

The media Project has entered into an exciting start of the project, supporting the three week intensive secondment of the future three core persons in “embondeiro” in Maputo, in close collaboration with senior, experienced coaches from “savana” Vertical and the SNJ’s informatics centre.

Funds to cover election Granted

Sweden and Ireland have just confirmed their contribution for the funds to support the media with the costs to cover the forthcoming municipal elections in the country. While Sweden has already signed the corresponding agreement of $60.000, Ireland is contributing with $20.000 for this basket, within a specific project on election coverage by the media, to be implemented by the Southern Africa Research and Documentation Centre(SARDC). The Media Project has been giving technical assistance for the designing of the project and the mobilization of funds, under the UNDP coordinated Media Working Group. As publicly announced by the Executive Editor of SARDC in Maputo, with the $ 80.000 already channelled to this organisation, the support component for the municipal elections is now considered complete.

Macequece – A New Partner

The Media Project has started developing a new partnership relationship with the Macequece Community Radio to be established soon in Vila Manica a municipality close to Machipanda. Towards the border with Zimbabwe. Our support covers institutional development and various training activities, and equipment supply.