Farm Radio
In this high-tech world, four-fifths of the world’s people do not have a telephone. In Zaire, Cambodia and Chad, there is only one phone for every one thousand people. For these people, the Internet is a far-off dream. And while an increasing number of communities do have access to television, the material may not be local, relevant or even in the right language.
Radio, however, can reach communities at the very end of the development road. Enter the Developing Countries Farm Radio Network. Set up in 1979, it is a not-for-profit organisation that provides information about simple low-cost farming practices. It produces radio scripts and distributes them free of charge to more than 1,500 network members in 100 countries. They, in turn, share the information with an audience of millions of farmers around the world.
One script for example tells the story of a Kenyan farmer whose neighbours laughed at him for planting trees in his field of maize. Written in the style of a short play, the story brings to life simple ideas and techniques. Needless to say, in this instance, it is the neighbours who end up envying the farmer’s yields. Other scripts deal with organic techniques and biological pest control methods.
The network continues to expand and this year plans to supply a greater variety of information - covering health and nutrition, and HIV and AIDS issues. It is planning to provide written materials and workshops to help develop radio skills.
e-mail: info@farmradio.org
http://www.farmradio.org (English/French)
This article first appeared in Positive News
http://www.positivenews.org.uk
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