Radio sparks people’s imagination like no other medium. From music to podcasts, it immerses the audience and easily conveys information and emotions, especially in Africa. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), radio remains the main mass communication medium in Africa. Across the continent, millions of people tune in to it every day to get informed and entertained.
What if radio could be used to raise awareness of climate change and ramp up climate action among youth in the continent?
UN CC:Learn and MIET Africa have partnered up to make it happen.
Bearing in mind the key role radio plays in the media landscape in Africa, the two organizations have set out to leverage radio and, over the next months, produce a total of 96 radio broadcasts on youth and climate change in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Malawi. Each country will have a 16-episode radio programme in English broadcast on a national radio station, with Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe also having episodes in local languages – Shona and Ndebele in Zimbabwe, Bemba and Nyanja in Zambia, and Chichewa in Malawi.
Overall, the radio programmes will:
- Provide a platform for youth across borders to engage around the challenges of and responses to climate change.
- Raise awareness of and improve knowledge related to climate change to promote youth-led climate action.
- Build the capacity of youth, schools, and communities for climate action.
This initiative builds on a successful first experience in 2021, when UN CC:Learn and MIET Africa collaborated to deliver 108 episodes in total that reached millions of listeners from all ages across the three Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Moreover, the collaboration also produced two TV programmes, and one of them recently wonthe Best Conservational/Wildlife Documentary Short at the prestigious 10th Annual Simon ‘Mabhunu’ Sabela KZN Film & Television Awards.
Keep an eye out on UN CC:Learn’s social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn) as we unveil more information about the programmes.
Follow the episodes on the national broadcasters:
- Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation – https://www.znbc.co.zm/live_radio/
- Zodiak Broadcasting (Malawi)- https://www.zodiakmalawi.com/live-radio
- Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation – https://www.zbc.co.zw/radio-broadcasting-services/
- Radio Lesotho- LNBS | Radio Lesotho