Breeze FM has started practical training for two newly established community radio stations in Zambia.
The two stations are Itezhi-Tezhi Community Radio Station in Central Province and Kasempa Community Radio Station in North-Western Province, which were established with support from the Danish Embassy in Lusaka and Panos Southern Africa.
Financial support for the training has been provided by the Danish Embassy under the ‘’Danida Support to the Promotion of Professional, Free and Independent Media Phase III’’programme.
The training is being carried out through attachments to Breeze FM and follow-up visits to the stations.
The areas to being covered are governance, management and administration; radio presentation and production; news planning, writing and editing; and marketing and media sales.
The training is aimed at assisting the two stations to manage their operations in a professional and sustainable manner.
The Breeze FM Practical Training for Community Radio Stations Through Attachments programme is based on the principle of ‘’each one, teach one’’ and seeks to enhance learning and sharing as well as self-awareness, esteem, confidence and professionalism among the community radio staff.
The training, which started in February and will be concluded in July, 2011 has already seen board members, managers and reporters being attached to Breeze FM.
Breeze FM, with support from the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) and the NSJ Southern African Media Training Trust, has over the past three years conducted similar staff attachments for stations in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia.
Through its attachment programme, Breeze FM wishes to contribute towards the building of a strong community and local radio sector in Zambia and the region.
We are working with a community radio station that we helped set up in Sinazongwe. I would like to find out if it can be possible for us to make a similar training arrangement for Sinazongwe community radio?
Dear Sengamo
Yes, it is possible to arrange training similar to the one that we are currently providing for Itezhi-Tezhi and Kasempa Community Radio Stations for Sinazongwe Community Radio Station.
You will notice that the costs of the current attachments are being met by the Royal Danish Embassy.
I suggest that you formally write a letter to us and indicate what when the station was set up, its mission and the work it does. You should also indicate the training needs of the people working at the station. We will then agree on the objectives of the training and the duration as well as the costs involved.
We will then pick it up from there.
Best wishes