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"I work for Pangani FM, a local radio station in rural Tanzania. I know how important the station is to the people who live here – it’s a vital source of information.

I train local journalists to improve their news reporting skills and also make radio packages for my local station and  (Little By Little), a national show made by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Media Action in partnership with ´óÏó´«Ã½ Swahili.

Haba na Haba takes regional content from stations like Pangani FM. It helps draw national attention to local issues, share solutions and enables people to be heard.

Cut off

One month I highlighted the plight of the people of Mwera village who were having problems with their water supply. The communal water pump suddenly stopped working – it has been cut off due to a local dispute.

As most houses do not have their own piped water, this was an immediate and pressing problem for everyone.

One villager called Pangani FM to let us know what was happening and to ask for help. So I visited Mwera to find out more an interviewed the villagers.

It seemed that the local dispute was too hard to resolve at village level. So we broadcast the story on Pangani FM so everyone in the area could hear what was happening.

Within two days of the report's broadcast, the water supply had been turned back on. 

National attention

By drawing attention to the problem, the villagers had managed to ensure that those in authority got to hear about their crisis quickly. And by putting more pressure on at a higher – and more public – level, it resolved things fast.

Sometimes the local stories we cover on Pangani FM are scaled up again and get an airing nationally on Haba na Haba.

And in the case of my water story it even made it to ´óÏó´«Ã½ World News, the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s international TV service, watched by millions."

This story was compiled by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Media Action's Kirsty Cockburn who was in conversation with Mohammed Hammie.