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Farm Radio Weekly is a news and information service for rural radio broadcasters in sub-Saharan Africa. It is published by Farm Radio International.

Farm Radio Weekly

Happy Women’s Day!

This edition of Farm Radio Weekly is dedicated to Africa’s hard working rural women. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we also welcome our newest subscribers from around the continent: Yvonne Otieno, from the World Agroforestry Center in Kenya; Christopher Mason, from Journalists for Human Rights in Liberia; Gee Dee, a farm owner in South Africa; Priscilla Ojambo from Uganda; and Emmanuel Asamoah from Rite FM, Teresa Atogiyire from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Sulemana Issah from Tropical Agricultural Marketing and Consultancy Services, Bashiru Jimma from Anabi Farms, and Loretta Vanderpuye forom the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and Glovina Media Consult, all in Ghana.

This week’s news stories profile two extraordinary women farmers. The first is a Ugandan woman who uses every square foot of her small farm to grow fruit for her thriving processing plant. The second is a Cameroonian woman who left city life to manage a large plantation. The women share some of their challenges and secrets to their success. We hope these stories inspire you to produce similar pieces on the inspirational women in your rural communities!

In the Upcoming Events section, you’ll find information on how to access AMARC-WIN’s Women’s Day broadcast, featuring community radio pieces. The Radio Resource Bank presents a new tool for finding examining gender inequalities in land rights. And in the Farm Radio Action section, we invite you to share how your organization marked International Women’s Day.

Happy reading!

-The Farm Radio Weekly Team

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In this week’s Farm Radio Weekly:

African Farm News in Review

1. Uganda: Woman farmer supports her family – and community – by processing fruit (by Sawa Pius, for Farm Radio Weekly, in Kampala, Uganda)

2. Cameroon: With pride and sacrifice woman keeps her plantation operating (by Lilianne Nyatcha, for Farm Radio Weekly, in Douala, Cameroon)

3. Past FRW stories on women farmers and women’s issues

Upcoming Events

-AMARC-WIN’s Women’s Day Broadcast Campaign continues through March 31

Radio Resource Bank

-FAO’s land rights database highlights gender inequalities

Farm Radio Action

-Tell us how your organization celebrated International Women’s Day

Farm Radio Script of the Week

-Families benefit when girls go to school

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1. Uganda: Woman farmer supports her family – and community – by processing fruit (by Sawa Pius, for Farm Radio Weekly, in Kampala, Uganda)

Violet Malunda’s small farm is bursting with colourful fruits. Pineapples, oranges, mangoes, avocados, and grapes sprout from every corner. There are seedlings growing in small boxes and plants growing up to the very boundaries of her farm.

Ms. Malunda operates a thriving fruit processing plant. In order to produce enough fruit, every bit of space must be utilized.

Ms. Malunda began growing fruits in the Mityana district of Uganda in 1977. The project started small, but has become a major livelihood – not only for her family but for her neighbours, too.

Her family of six provides the bulk of the labour. Their family home is the headquarters of Kiyinda Agro Food Enterprises. It’s fruit processing factory that makes wine, juice, jam, and sauce.

Ms. Malunda explains that she produces different products on different days. Some days wine, some days juice. Some days sauces with chili, other days sauces without.

The products are packaged in bottles or plastic bags. Glass bottles are very expensive and importing them is a big challenge. So Ms. Malunda has come up with an alternative to buying new bottles. Her family collects used bottles. They are washed, sterilized, and used for packaging.

She also has to import sealing materials. It’s a large expense, but one she can’t avoid.

In order to maintain her loyal clients, Ms. Malunda must keep supply steady and standards constant. To ensure she has enough fruit to process, she enlists the help of neighbouring farmers. She has a tree nursery on her farm and sells seedlings to her neighbours. The neighbours plant the seedlings and sell fruit back to Ms. Malunda.

Ms. Malunda is proud that her small factory has enabled her children to attend good schools. She also believes that it has saved her family from disease. Her children are healthy because they know the value of fruits, she declares.

Her neighbours, too, have relied on her business as a source of income. As a result, many have been able to educate their children and improve their health.

Ms. Malunda is now training other farmers to do the same kind of fruit processing. Her dream is to see her community become one of the most successful in Uganda. She adds: “Ugandans should know that our fruits are fresh and organic. So they should love them and use the good climate to grow them in plenty and fight poverty.”

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2. Cameroon: With pride and sacrifice woman keeps her plantation operating (by Lilianne Nyatcha, for Farm Radio Weekly, in Douala, Cameroon)

Elise Dibabo doesn’t look like a typical farmer. Her round, gold-plated glasses give her the look of a newly-gentrified intellectual. Yet it has been eight years since Elise Dibabo left the city and deposited her luggage in the small village of Nkol-Ngock – much to the dismay of her husband, an executive in the shipping industry. Her husband had acquired more than 100 hectares of virgin forest in Nkol-Ngock, 60 miles from the city of Douala. Painstakingly and courageously, Ms. Dibabo has reclaimed and developed the land.

It wasn’t long ago that Ms. Dibabo worked as a housekeeper in Douala. But since her arrival in Nkol-Ngock, she has employed scores of labourers to work the land. She speaks with pride of her vast crops. There are 65 hectares of palm, over 10 hectares of pistachio, three of yams, and two each of cocoa, pineapple, watermelon, and plantain. Fifteen hectares are used to grow maize, mostly to feed her flock of 1,300 broiler chickens.

The construction of a palm oil processing plant has been the hallmark of her success. It has allowed her to grow the plantation to the size it stands today.

Ms. Dibabo’s dynamism has won her friends in Nkol-Ngock, a small town where everyone knows everyone. Getting used to the intimacy of small-town life took time. It was a big change from the crowded and noisy streets of Douala. It took Ms. Dibabo a year to adapt and integrate.

Ms. Dibabo currently employs eight workers from the village. Today she jokes with her staff. Contagious laughter erupts from time to time. Ms. Dibabo’s chief of staff is asked to name his boss’ faults. He responds that he can think of none. He feels that Ms. Dibabo cares for them like a mother. In fact, she provides her staff with meals and lodging on the plantation.

But operating a large-scale operation in a rural environment has its challenges. Ms. Dibabo says the hardest part is coping with a lack of electricity. Harvested crops often rot before they can be transported to the city. This is especially a problem during the rainy season when Ms. Dibabo’s truck can’t get through. As a result of some of these problems, she had to abandon much of her palm and banana plantings to grass.

In the midst of this sometimes harsh environment, Ms. Dibabo always finds solace in her husband, her companion of 30 years. She affectionately calls him “papa,” to which he replies “mama.” They share a love which makes young couples pale in comparison. Though her husband remains in Douala for business, he visits Nkol-Ngock every weekend. During the week, SMS messages and phone calls bring comfort.

Today, Ms. Dibabo dreams of taking a break from it all. Of moving away to a place where she wouldn’t have to worry about such things as crop viruses. At the age of 53, she is exhausted by the heavy physical and moral investment she has made. She doesn’t know how much longer she will be able to use a cutlass. So, she would like a little help from the authorities to purchase machinery.

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3. Past FRW stories on women farmers and women’s issues

Following is a sample of past FRW stories looking at some of the issues facing rural women and celebrating successful women farmers and women’s groups that have overcome these challenges:

-“Uganda: Women fishers break traditions” (FRW #5, January 2008)

-“Mali: Women traders play crucial role in providing locally adapted seeds” (FRW #9, February 2008)

-“South Africa: Community gardens help women pensioners maintain their independence” (FRW #11, February 2008)

-“Burkina Faso: Women’s group finds new use for ‘green gold’” (FRW #13, March 2008)

-“Nigeria: Group advocates for women farmers’ rights” (FRW #17, April 2008)

-“Democratic Republic of the Congo: Women farmers process cassava to improve their livelihoods” (FRW #35, September 2008)

-“Uganda: Women farmers drive the economy with sunflower oil” (FRW #45, November 2008)

-“Rwanda: Women seek shared control of family assets“ (FRW #51, January 2009)

-“Cameroon: A woman agricultural engineer discusses her passion for mushrooms” (FRW #57, March 2009)

-“Swaziland: Women’s weaving co-operative gives ‘lift’ to communities” (FRW #77, August 2009)

-“Mauritius: Egg production is their path out of poverty” (FRW #86, November 2009)

-“Senegal: Rural women demand improved access to farmland” (FRW #91, December 2009)

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Notes to broadcasters on International Women’s Day:

Here are some ideas for reporting on women farmers and rural women’s issues at any time of the year:

You may wish to interview an innovative woman farmer or entrepreneur about her experience preparing and marketing a new product – either for a news report or an on-air discussion:

-How did she come up with the idea for the product (or the idea to market a local product)?
-What kind of market research did she conduct?
-How does she package the product to make it attractive to customers? What else does she do to add value to her product?
-How did she determine the best price for her product?
-Did any partnerships or other types of support assist her to produce and market her product?
-How much money does she earn from her business? What role does this play in her family income?

You may wish to find and profile a women’s co-operative in your area:

-What sorts of products does the group produce? Do they use these products in their homes, sell them (or both)?
-What traditional materials and methods does the co-operative use? What new materials or methods have they learned about or discovered?
-Has the group been able to access training or funding programs to support their endeavours? What channels did they go through to obtain this support?
-What direct benefits have members of the co-operative experienced, such as improved income or better access products? Has the group been able to support women in the community at large (for example, with women’s health or women’s rights initiatives)?

You may wish to produce a call-in or text-in show in which callers answer the following questions regarding women’s land rights:

-Do you know women who have been evicted from their land? If yes, how were they expelled?
-Did the evicted women go to court to defend their right to land? If so, what was the outcome? If not, what happened to the women and their families?
-After the eviction, how did the women ensure their family’s food security? Did they have any support from their parents?
-If an evicted woman is living with HIV and AIDS, how does the community help her? Are there any organizations that have helped evicted women regain their land and/or livelihoods?

You may wish to host a program that offers women whose right to land and other assets has been violated a chance to tell their story. An interview with an advocacy organization could add value to this program. (Such an organization may also help you contact women who wish to share their story). Some points to investigate are:
-What are the customary practices regarding financial decisions in local households?
-What laws govern household finances, and how do customary practices compare with the law?
-What do women contribute to the household finances (e.g. what sort of work do they do)?
-What financial responsibilities to women have (e.g. to grow or purchase food, to pay school fees)?

Some questions for individual women:

-At what point were they excluded from financial decision making?
-What were the repercussions for the family of the woman being excluded from decision making?
-Did the woman try to negotiate with her husband for more control over the family finances and, if so, what was the result?
-What organizations or legal bodies could support the woman to improve her situation?

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AMARC-WIN’s Women’s Day Broadcast Campaign continues through March 31

From March 8-31, 2010, The Women’s International Network of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC-WIN) is organizing the sixth annual International Women’s Day Broadcast Campaign. The campaign will feature programs produced by community radio stations around the world. This year’s theme is: “Empowering and celebrating women as agents of recovery.”

The International Women’s Day Broadcast Campaign will begin at 1:00 GMT on Monday, March 8. To listen to the broadcast, or to download programs to re-broadcast at your station, visit: http://march8.amarc.org/index.php?p=March8_Program.

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FAO’s land rights database highlights gender inequalities

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recently launched a database that gathers information on land rights and access to land in 78 countries. The Gender and Land Rights Database contains information on the major social, economic, political, and cultural factors that impact women’s rights and access to land. It seeks to highlight the inequalities between men and women with regard to land access. The FAO calls this inequality “one of the major stumbling blocks to rural development.”

The online database includes both national and customary laws governing land use; property rights and inheritance; international treaties and conventions and land tenure. It also lists civil society groups that work on land issues, and provides other related statistics. Database users can access all information available for a particular country, or select specific topics, such as the total number of land holders in a specific state. The database also generates reports which compare two or more countries.

The Gender and Land Rights Database can be found at: http://www.fao.org/gender/landrights.

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Tell us how your organization celebrated International Women’s Day

Did your organization do something special to mark International Women’s Day? Maybe you produced a radio program about prominent local women or about issues affecting local women. Perhaps you held or covered an event for Women’s Day. We would love to hear how you marked the occasion.

Please send a short description to FRW Editor Heather Miller at hmiller@farmradio.org. We will publish responses we receive in a future edition of FRW.

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Families benefit when girls go to school

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we must not forget the girls who will become the next generation of women. Gender equality (or inequality) begins in childhood. For example, we know that boys are more likely than girls to complete an education. This will affect their livelihood opportunities as adults.

Parents who are considering withdrawing their young girls from school may not have considered the benefits of girls obtaining an education. This week’s script explores how a family can work together to ensure that all their children can stay in school; and how a girl’s education can benefit the entire family. The Notes to Broadcasters for this script also suggest other story ideas on this topic.

This script can also be found online at: http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/70-4script_en.asp.

To browse through more scripts on gender and development, go to: http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/gender.asp.

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Hello to all!

After celebrating our 100th edition last week with some of your (and our) favourite news stories, we return to a regular edition featuring some noteworthy current events. We also welcome the following new subscribers to this edition, and to the Farm Radio Weekly community: Ulrich Vidjingninou, from the NGO APRETECTRA in Benin; Lyman Ad, from Samaritan Touch Multimedia Ltd. in Nigeria; Fall Madior, from the USAID Wula Nafaa project in Senegal; Virginia Jekanyika, from Dicomm in Zimbabwe; Anthony Appiah, from the Fisheries Commission, and John Imoro Amoro, from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, both in Ghana; Moses Opondo, from Pambazuka News, and John Nene, from Pamoja FM, both in Kenya; and Jean Armand Bokally Dande, from the Cameroonian Association of Agricultural Journalists, Richard Ndi Tamnjong, from Donga Mantung Community Radio, and Austin Ngenge, from SEYDEV, all in Cameroon.

Our first news story of the week comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where some innovative rural residents have discovered a type of livestock that is easy to raise and difficult to steal. You may be surprised to learn the animal they are rearing for meat and income! Our second news story reports on the continuing process of land registration in Rwanda. You’ll learn how this process is resolving disputes among neighbours, though some criticize the process.

Read on to find out what’s happening at the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s General Conference in April, and how you can be entered in a draw for a Flip camcorder just by registering for free courses at News University. Finally, check out the Farm Radio Action section. We present the results of our survey about the online social networking community that we are working on.

Happy reading!

-The Farm Radio Weekly Team

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African Farm News in Review

1. Democratic Republic of the Congo: Guinea pigs make their way into homes and diets (AFP, CIAT)

2. Rwanda: Land registry aims to reduce conflict (Syfia Grands Lacs, New Times)

Upcoming Events

-April 17-21, 2010: Commonwealth Broadcasting Association General Conference

Radio Resource Bank

-News University offers online training for journalists, editors, and managers

Farm Radio Action

-Summary of survey results for Farm Radio online social networking community

Farm Radio Script of the Week

-Raising rabbits for meat and profit

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1. Democratic Republic of the Congo: Guinea pigs make their way into homes and diets (AFP, CIAT)

Small, furry rodents have been found in some Congolese homes. They eat kitchen scraps and breed often. But don’t worry, they’re not pests. They’re guinea pigs. And they can be an important source of protein for families.

Guinea pigs are native to South America. In many South American countries, guinea pig meat forms a major part of local diets. It has been compared in taste to pork, dark chicken meat, or rabbit.

No one knows how or when guinea pigs arrived in Africa. But, last year, an international research group discovered them in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Now, rural people in North and South Kivu districts are raising the rodents as “micro-livestock.”

There are many reasons why guinea pigs are well-suited to this part of the country. As part of ongoing conflicts, larger livestock are frequently stolen. But guinea pigs are small and easy to conceal. They are also hardy animals. They can survive off scraps. And they suffer from fewer diseases than pigs, chickens, or rabbits.

Guinea pigs reproduce often and grow quickly. A female can give birth to as many as 15 pups per year. The offspring reach one kilogram in about three months – ready to be eaten or sold at market.

Researchers at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, or CIAT, were looking for ways to boost livestock production when they found locals raising guinea pigs. The group had originally focused on pork and poultry.

Michael Peters leads the Forages Program at CIAT. He says no one had contemplated guinea pigs when the program started. Now, he believes the rodents could prove indispensible.

CIAT hopes to assist rural communities to improve animal feeding practices. This will result in larger, healthier animals. For example, they hope to identify periods when animal feed is in short supply, and find ways to fill the shortage. CIAT will also investigate which forages encourage guinea pigs to grow more quickly and produce more nutritious meat.

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2. Rwanda: Land registry aims to reduce conflict (Syfia Grands Lacs, New Times)

In rural Rwanda, trees and hedges commonly grow along farmers’ fields. They are used to indicate property boundaries. But these boundaries can change. By moving trees, a farmer can try to extend his or her property at the expense of a neighbour. This is one of the problems that the Rwandan government hopes to fix through a national land registry.

Conflict over land is an ongoing problem in Rwanda. Population density is high. In southern Rwanda, there are as many as 1,000 people per square kilometre. In the village of Ruhango in southern Rwanda, a man killed his neighbour last year in a bid to take over his land.

Through the process of officially demarcating and registering land, land disputes are being settled. It’s not always easy to determine boundaries. So each owner is invited to show the borders of their plot. When the neighbours agree, the plots are officially measured and land certificates are granted.

To date, more than 20,000 plots of land have been registered. Evode Ngombwa is a spokesperson for the National Land Centre. He says the need to solve disputes has slowed the registration process. The government expects the process will take at least three years.

Mr. Ngombwa believes that land registration will help people greatly. With documents to confirm land ownership, farmers will be able to use their land as collateral for bank loans.

The land registration process is also a chance for women to assert their land rights. A local organization for the defense of genocide survivors is calling for its members, especially widows and children, to receive special protection through the process.

But not everyone is confident that land registration will resolve their conflicts. Tensions have been brewing since the return of refugees from the 1994 genocide. A resident of Ngoma in eastern Rwanda complained that authorities forced villagers to share land with returning refugees. But, over time, some returnees have been able to purchase more land. The resident argues that those refugees who have acquired more land should return the land they were originally given.

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Notes to broadcasters on guinea pigs:

In past editions of FRW, we have looked at African farmers who experiment with all sorts of “micro-livestock,” including rabbits, snails, butterflies, and even silk worms. Some alternative livestock, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, are reportedly easy to raise, compared to others that are difficult to control or highly vulnerable to disease.

Still, for every kind of livestock, a specific set of skills is required to breed, rear, and maintain them in good health. You may wish to prepare a program or series of programs featuring one kind of alternative livestock that is raised in your area. Consider featuring successful farmers and other local experts who can explain what someone needs to know to successfully raise and market the livestock.

For more information on micro-livestock, visit the following:
-From The Overstory, The Agroforestry E-journal: http://www.agroforestry.net/overstory/overstory41.html
-From The New Agriculturalist: http://www.new-ag.info/99-3/focuson.html

Farm Radio International has produced many scripts about raising livestock, large and small. Follow this link for scripts on topics such as feeding animals through the dry season, preventing and treating animal disease, and alternative livestock such as snails and bees: http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/livestock.asp.

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Notes to broadcasters on land registration:

Land rights are an issue of top concern to farmers and a justifiable focus of agricultural news. The threat posed by land-grab attempts by large corporations and foreign governments captures a great deal of attention. But concerns such as land rights for indigenous people and women, and conflict over land at the community level, also demand media attention. Here, we present some resources and programming ideas for exploring some of these land rights issues: http://www.afrik.com/article14727.html
-Resources for Journalists, produced by the International Food Policy Research Institute, on land rights in Africa: http://www.ifpri.org/media/20060518Land.asp

Indigenous peoples’ land rights
-Are there peoples in your country who have been displaced by former regimes and are now resettled, or wish to resettle, on ancestral lands?
-Are there national laws, policies and procedures to return land to those who have been displaced? If so, are they being implemented? If not, why not?
-If peoples have been resettled, through what process did they obtain the right to return to the land?
-What challenges did the people face after resettlement and how did they overcome them?
-If people have been resettled on farmland, do they have the skills and financial resources to make a living as farmers? Have retraining programs been put in place? What national or local organizations – governmental or NGOs – are working on this issue?
-Are resettled people discarding traditional land uses in favour of new uses? If so, why?
-If legal proceedings are underway to resolve a land claim, what are some of the arguments being considered?

Women’s land rights
Here are some resources that can help you expand your knowledge on African women’s struggle for land rights:
-Land rights: The struggle of African women:

Here are some Farm Radio International scripts that deal with women’s land rights in Africa:
-Promote gender equality and empower women (Package 78, Number 3, July 2006)
-Women, property, and inheritance (Package 73, Number 4, January 2005)
-Land ownership rights: Access denied – Why women need equal access to land (Package 57, Number 9, October 2000)

Community conflict
The following Farm Radio scripts describe fictionalized – though realistic – community conflicts. They suggest reasons why conflict over land and water resources can become so contentious, and some ways that such conflicts can be resolved:

-Conflict over natural resources: A short story (Package 67, Script 7, June 2003)
-Dispute over a sacred stream: Villagers describe the conflict (Package 67, Script 6, June 2003)

Whether the communities in your broadcast area are experiencing a violent conflict, or are simply subject to tensions that can occur wherever resources are shared, consider the role your radio organization can play in reducing conflict. The following resources, taken from previous instalments of FRW’s Radio Resource Bank, may help you to get started:

-Using radio to help communities talk by the Straight Talk Foundation
-A checklist for conflict-sensitive journalism by the Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society and International Media Support

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April 17-21, 2010: Commonwealth Broadcasting Association General Conference

The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s (CBA’s) bi-annual conference will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from April 17-21, 2010. The theme of the conference is “Broadcasting Scores!” Sessions will deal with aspects of sports coverage as well as issues related to the use of sport in development. There will also be workshops on management, regulatory issues, media and health, and media and social justice.

The cost for CBA Members from developing countries is 150 British pounds (approximately 230 American dollars or 170 Euros); the cost for non-members from developing countries is 250 British pounds (approximately 380 American dollars or 280 Euros). Delegates are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.

For more information on the conference, including an online registration form, go to:http://www.cba.org.uk/conferences_and_events/2010_Johannesburg.php.

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News University offers online training for journalists, editors, and managers

News University offers online courses for journalists, editors, and newsroom managers interested in honing their craft and learning new techniques. More than 85 courses are available, including Telling Stories with Sound; Reporting Global Issues Locally, and Twitter for Journalists. Technical guides for many common software programs are also included.

Internews, an international media NGO, is offering a special incentive for media professionals who register for News University. New registrants will be entered in a draw for a Flip Video Ultra 60-minute camcorder. To be entered in the draw, go to the News University website and register for a course. Be sure to choose “Internews” as the answer to “How did you hear about NewsU”? The deadline for the last draw is March 15, 2010.

-To register for News University, go to: http://www.newsu.org/profile/.
-To browse News University’s courses, visit: http://www.newsu.org/courses/course_list.aspx.

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Summary of survey results for Farm Radio online social networking community

From January 26 to February 2, Farm Radio International surveyed its broadcasting partners, Farm Radio Weekly subscribers, and participants in the scriptwriting competition on smallholder farmer innovation. The objective of the survey was to understand which tools respondents would like to see in an online community.

Thank you to all who answered the survey. As we said before, your opinions matter! Now, we would like to share a summary of the survey results. Many respondents expressed an interest in playing an even larger role, by contributing to a volunteer advisory group that will help develop ideas and test early versions of the online community. We will be in touch with those who expressed interest soon with more details about this advisory group.

Now for the survey results:

The first question asked was: “If you could create an amazing website for networking with others involved in rural radio and agricultural development, what would you wish to see included? Be creative! Give us examples and tell us why you think they are important to you. This is the time to dream up whatever you would like to have in an online community.”

The answers included the following features and tools: Upload/download of broadcasts, forums to exchange information, script uploads, downloadable manuals, event calendars, e-mail alerts, and the ability to upload images and videos. Survey respondents also wanted the site to increase their networking capabilities by providing lists of qualified resource people, training possibilities, and information on extension services, classified by geographic area.

The second question suggested some tools that might be included in the online community and asked the respondents to choose their top five.

The top five choices were:
1) Ability to upload audio files
2) Professional agricultural advice/ expert resource list
3) A forum where you can ask and answer questions
4) Phone-casting
5) Interactive map

The third question focused on facilitated discussion groups on the social networking site. Respondents were asked to select their preferred topics amongst the following:

-Environment and agriculture (climate change, biodiversity, land grabbing, seeds, soil fertility, etc.)
-Health and nutrition
-Broadcasting issues (broadcasting tips, equipment reviews, etc.)
-ICTs and agriculture
-Gender and development

The top three choices - with the first being by far the most popular - were:
1) Environment and agriculture (climate change, biodiversity, land grabbing, seeds, soil fertility, etc.),
2) Health and nutrition
3) Gender and development

Finally, respondents were asked whether they would check the site once daily, twice a week, once a week, or once a month. The majority of respondents said they would check Farm Radio’s online social networking community once daily.

Thanks again to all and stay tuned for more details!

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Raising rabbits for meat and profit

As our first news story of the week explains, guinea pigs are a new type of “micro-livestock” that hold promise for rural communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and likely in other African countries. Another type of micro-livestock that is popular in many countries is rabbit rearing.

This week’s script is divided into two parts. Part one explains some of the benefits of rabbit farming, including the relative ease of caring for rabbits and preparing their meat. Part two provides more information on raising rabbits, such as how to house and feed them.

Both parts of the script can be found online at:
http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/80-1script_en.asp
http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/80-2script_en.asp

For more information on rabbit care, see:
Common rabbit diseases and how to treat them successfully (Package 88, Script 6, July 2009): http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/88-6script_en.asp

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