大象传媒

Through expert training, stations are able to better connect local people to local policy and decision makers, giving them a platform on which they can voice their concerns and demand answers from those in power.

As part of the initiative a radio drama&苍产蝉辫;鈥樷�� launched in July 2017 to encourage further community discussion about accountability. The series is a story of governance, justice and corruption in the fictional country of Gondo which aims to engage, inform and inspire listeners.

In the run-up to the 2016 elections we worked with independent media to broadcast presidential and MP televised debates, in addition to nationally broadcast radio debates on key election issues.

Zambia speaks

Community based radio stations are focused on local needs and have an especially important role in Zambian society.

As one retired teacher in Kasempa, North-Western Province, said during a listener focus group, 鈥�Give me a phone and I will speak to you alone, give me a letter and I will read it to you alone, and give me community radio, I will speak to your entire community鈥�.

Despite the popularity of community radio in Zambia, stations face challenges. They often lack the training and resources to produce good, editorially sound programming. Operationally, stations struggle to generate predictable and sufficient income and to manage their staff, resources and equipment effectively.

Through training, 大象传媒 Media Action hopes to change this.

Expert training

As well as programme making, production and editorial standards, the tailored training covers income generation, financial and human resource management and technical skills, enabling stations to operate sustainably and serve their communities.

Initially the SIDA funded Radio Waves project focused on six partner stations across six provinces. In late 2015, the initiative was scaled up to include a further ten independent stations with funding provided by the British Council's 'Zambia Speaks!' initiative with additional resources from SIDA.

Sixteen stations across all of Zambia鈥檚 ten provinces now receive tailored capacity building and benefit from strengthened networks between stations nationally. Partner stations were selected to represent a mix between rural and urban audiences with differing levels of access to media and information.

In addition, 大象传媒 Media Action worked with the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) to monitor how media platforms across Zambia cover key governance issues and political campaigning around the national Presidential elections in August 2016. 

The Story of Gondo

In July 2017, we launched a radio drama aiming to help create further discussion around governance and accountability.

The Story of Gondo is a story of governance, justice and corruption in the everyday lives of community members in the fictional country of 'Gondo' which aims to engage, inform and inspire listeners. Drama has the power to help address barriers to political participation 鈥� topics that are sometimes too complex or sensitive to discuss within standard radio programming.

In the first series, listeners followed the events and characters in the run up to an election; the second series focused on tribalism and its effects on everyday life. Inspirational characters model positive behaviour around political participation, and the storylines illustrate how the individuals have benefited by participating in civic life.

Written and produced by a team of scriptwriters and staff from three independent radio partners, the drama is broadcast in both English and local languages and aired by radio partners as part of the weekly governance programmes. Audiences are able to empathise with common situations, individual actions and the resulting consequences, and listener discussion was promoted through the shows and on social media through a dedicated Facebook page.

After our two seasons of Story of Gondo on radio, we produced an animated version for television in 2019. The episodes are still available on and , and are still being broadcast by local radio partners; the animated television version is scheduled to be shown by state broadcaster ZNBC in 2022.

Project information