Kandoli FM Community Radio Station

Kandoli FM Community Radio Initiative:

We decided to start Nkhata Bay’s first radio station after an inspiring visit to Mzimba Community Radio in 2011.We have since been teaching the community about recording and broadcasting for radio. The long-term aim is that the community here in Nkhata Bay will be able to set up their own Tonga radio service so that information and news can be disseminated in a language the people understand. We are fully registered and have a functioning studio, though other parts of the building still need renovating.  

Radio is the perfect way to reach the majority of the people in such a rural country like Malawi as it is the most accessible medium. It became clear that prior to the establishment of the radio station, we would need to get many students knowledgeable about the technologies involved. Working with an increasing number of students about the skills involved in journalism, editing and radio broadcast, we found there is no end to the amount of skills needed in order to set up with a fully functioning, relevant, educational and enjoyable community radio station here in Nkhata Bay. 

We did hit some hurdles in this project which delayed things for a while but recently things seem to be moving again.  The last four years have seen workshops from a great journalism volunteer, Judith Weymont who taught a basic radio broadcasting workshop to nearly 80 students.  This stirred their enthusiasm again and the committee was reformed.  After speaking with the Local Assembly and backed by the two Traditional leaders in the area, we were granted a building to house Kandoli FM.  

The community organised a Big Walk in 2018 to fundraise to start the project and we have also started to collect membership fees.  These funds, and a recently set up Go Fund Me page are going towards renovating the building, which now is connected to electricity and has the logo painted on it which looks great. Solomon from our media room opens up there on Friday and Saturdays so there is a permanent location for people wanting to edit and get involved.  

Recent consultation with a lawyer means we are in the process of registering Kandoli FM as a Trust, so that it will always be a community radio.  From here we hope to harness more substantial support to enable us to get the equipment we need to get on air, and from here we can apply for the license.  If you have a background in media, community development or management then there are plenty things you can do for this project as a volunteer: 

• Give lessons in journalism or other media skills and techniques.

• Attend the weekly news meeting and help editing news stories that the team has written, and developing with them their journalistic spirit.

• Help recording the stories and music opportunities and editing them accordingly.

• Developing their ideas for writing, researching and recording feature stories for radio.

• Practice radio and recording techniques.

• Research into linking to other media organizations that could sponsor and support the project financially long term.

• Fundraising to help towards the installation costs of a radio transmitter.