Farm Radio International script of the week

This week’s news story about Ivorian chicken and rabbit farmers illustrates one reason to diversify farm production – to protect your family’s income and food supply in case of an outbreak of livestock disease. But there are many other reasons to diversify livestock and crops. A farmer who plants many crops has greater assurance that he or she will have some food, even if one or more crop fails. That same farmer will have a better chance of earning a decent income, even if the market price of a particular crop falls dramatically. The following script looks at yet another reason to diversify – to ensure that your family can eat a varied and nutritious diet, even if money is scarce. This script can be found online at: http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/65-1script_en.asp.

Notes to broadcaster

If you’re looking for story ideas for farmers on one way to survive the difficulties of the export market and meet the nutritional needs of their families at the same time, talk to them about the benefits of diversification (i.e., planting a variety of crops). In your programs, emphasize that one of the benefits of crop diversification is the variety of foods produced. Different kinds of foods provide different nutrients, all of which are needed for good health. It is especially important for infants and children to eat a variety of foods. Talk to extension agents and farmers to learn about alternative crops and cropping patterns that farmers in your community can use for diversification. (These may include traditional crops.) Compile a list of these alternative crops. Interview local farmers who successfully grow several crops to meet a variety of needs.

In this story, Monica and her husband grow one export crop – coffee – and some maize. In bad times when coffee prices are low, Monica has limited income and cannot buy enough nutritious food for herself and her family. As you will see, her health suffers. Another farmer, Tandi grows two export crops. In addition she grows local vegetables, fruits and two different cereal crops. By diversifying, her family has enough food to stay healthy.

Other radio broadcasts on this topic that you could produce are:

* The ups and downs of growing crops for export
* How to establish a fair trade cooperative to export cash crops
* The benefits of growing traditional crops in addition to modern crops
* Ten alternative crops for small-farm diversification in our community

————

INTRO

Host: Many farmers grow crops for export and depend on foreign markets for their income. These farmers often don’t grow food for their families any more. The drama “Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket” shows what can happen when farmers only grow crops for export.
SCRIPT

Characters
Monica and Tandi: Women farmers
Winston: Monica’s husband

BACKGROUND SOUNDS: BIRDS SINGING, ROOSTER CROWING. SOUND OF HOES HITTING THE EARTH.

Monica: (breathless) Oh my goodness, Tandi, it’s hot today.

Tandi: Yes it certainly is, Monica.

Monica: (groaning) Ohhhh …

Tandi: (worried) Monica?

SOUND OF A THUD AS MONICA FALLS ONTO THE GROUND.

Tandi: Monica, are you all right?

Monica: (weakly) What happened?

Tandi: You fainted. You don’t look well, Monica. Have you eaten today?

Monica: (hesitant) Umm…no, I haven’t.

Tandi: You haven’t eaten? No wonder you fainted. Why didn’t you have some breakfast?

Monica: (hesitant) To be truthful, Tandi, we don’t have much food in the house these days. But I really don’t want to talk about that right now. You know, I think I should get back to the house.

Tandi: All right, let me help you up. If you lean on me, we can walk home together.

SOUND OF SLOW FOOTSTEPS MOVING AWAY.
MUSICAL BREAK (3 seconds).
SOUND OF FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING QUICKLY.

Winston: Monica! Are you okay? What happened to you, my dear wife?

Tandi: She fainted in the field. Let’s help her to sit down.

Winston: Oh, this isn’t good. Monica, didn’t you eat today?

Monica: No, there wasn’t any maize meal left after I fed the children. Oh, Winston, what are we going to do?… I’m so worried that

Winston: (interrupting and whispering) Shhh … shhh. Let’s not talk about it now.

Tandi: Winston, Monica has already told me that you’re having problems. But I know that your harvests were good last year. What happened this year?

Winston: Last year, coffee prices were high – we received a lot of money for our crop. So this year we decided to put all our land into one crop – coffee. But, then coffee prices dropped. We received almost nothing.

Tandi: What about your other crops?

Winston: We didn’t grow any other crops. We used all the land for one crop – coffee.

Tandi: Well that explains it. Winston and Tandi, I know that farmers are being encouraged to grow for export. But when farmers grow nothing but coffee and sugar cane, what is the family going to eat?

Monica: I know, I know. I especially worry about the children because they need more variety in their diet.

Tandi: They certainly do. You all do. That’s why you are so weak Monica – you need to eat more than just maize to stay healthy. You need a variety of foods.

Winston: Well tell us, Tandi, how do you survive? You have the same amount of land as we do. But you don’t seem to suffer.

Tandi: We saw that many people made money growing coffee the last few years. But we didn’t want to put all our land into coffee. It seemed like a big risk. After all, the prices can be high one year and low the next.

Monica: Um hmm.

Tandi: So we decided to lower our risks by planting a variety of different crops.

Monica: (curious) How did that help?

Tandi: We grow several crops at the same time to give us security. Two crops are for export, but we also grow local food crops. Growing different crops is called diversification. If any crop fails, we always have something else to eat or sell.

Monica: Hmmm. And this way you are not dependent on the overseas markets. Yes! No matter what events happen in distant countries, you always have food to eat.

Tandi: Exactly!

Winston: But how do you grow so many crops on a small plot of land?

Tandi: I can show you how. When Monica is feeling better, why don’t you both come and visit my plot? I’ll show you how we do it.

SOUNDS OF BIRDS AND INSECTS SINGING. FADE AND HOLD UNDER OTHER SOUNDS AND DIALOGUE.

Tandi: Here is where we grow our coffee. Some of the trees that shade our coffee provide us with fresh fruit. So, we have two crops from one piece of land!

Monica: Do you grow other crops for sale?

Tandi: Yes. I don’t depend on just one export crop – too risky. So I grow medicinal plants too. But now, come over here and I’ll show you our plot of maize.

SOUND OF MOVEMENT.

Monica: But there’s much more than maize growing here!

Tandi: Exactly. With the maize we intercrop two or three vegetables, and beans or pumpkins. When we harvest one crop, we plant another in its place. Sometimes there are four or five different crops growing here! This variety of grains and vegetables provides a good diet for the children.

Winston: All this food on a small plot of land. You are a farmer who deserves congratulations Tandi.

FADE IN MUSIC AND HOLD UNDER ANNOUNCER.
EXTRO

Host: You’ve been listening to “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Insert name of performer was Monica. Insert performer’s name was Winston, ___________ was Tandi. As their story shows, the export market can be rewarding. But it has ruined many farmers who didn’t understand the risks. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify! Take care of your food needs as well as your need for money.

- END -

Acknowledgements

* Contributed by Vijay Cuddeford, Toronto, Canada.
* Reviewed by Peter Rosset, Co-Director, Food First/The Institute for Food and Development Policy, Oakland, California, USA.

Information Sources

* Unequal harvest: Farmers’ voices on international trade and the right to food, by Lauren Posner. International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, 1001 de Maisonneuve Blvd. East, Suite 1100, Montréal Québec, Canada H2L 4P9. E-mail: ichrdd@ichrdd.ca
* The banyan tree: A textbook for holistic health practitioners, Volume II: Bringing Change, edited by Sister Carol Huss.
* A synthesis report of the Africa Region – Women, agriculture and rural development. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome 1995.
* The multiple functions and benefits of small farm agriculture in the context of global trade negotiations, by Peter M. Rosset, 1999. Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, 398 60th Street, Oakland, CA 94618 USA. E-mail: foodfirst@foodfirst.org.
* Agriculture in developing countries: which way forward?, by Aileen Kwa. Focus on the Global South, c/o CUSRI, Wisit Prachuabmoh Building, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 Thailand.
* Small Farmers and the Need for Alternative, Development-friendly Food Production Systems, by Aileen Kwa. Focus on the Global South, c/o CUSRI, Wisit Prachuabmoh Building, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 Thailand.
* Trade and Hunger: An Overview of Case Studies on the Impact of Trade Liberalisation on Food Security, by John Madeley, 2000. Forum Syd, Box 15407, 104 65 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46-8-506 370 00, Fax: +46-8-506 370 99. E-mail: forum.syd@forumsyd.se.

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Integrated Pest Management is a pest control strategy that uses an array of complementary crop protection techniques such as rotating crops, fertilizing the soil, hand-picking insects, and intercropping. The approach emphasizes pro-active measures to protect crops, as well as understanding pest life cycles and behaviours. A primary goal is to reduce or eliminate the use of chemical pesticides.

In researching this week’s news story about the organic cotton bollworm trap, we discovered that many cotton farmers practice an Integrated Pest Management approach. Intercropping with nitrogen-fixing plants is common, and some farmers are reluctant to use pesticides to control bollworms because they know these chemicals will also kill beneficial insects.

So this week we are highlighting a package of radio spots on Integrated Pest Management. We hope that it gives you some ideas for programming, and gives the farmers in your audience some ideas for their field. You can also find this script online at: http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/72-3script_en.asp.

—

Notes to Broadcaster
Farmers who use only chemicals for pest management run the risk of starting a cycle of new problems. For example, pesticides become less effective with time, as insects develop resistance. In addition, pesticides kill “good” insects. To avoid these problems, advise farmers to use alternatives to pesticides and to implement more than one practice at a time. Methods such as crop rotation, intercropping, and hand-picking insects, are all effective techniques in crop protection. If one method fails, others will keep working. The following spots highlight some of the problems of using chemical pesticides, and offer possible alternatives.

—

Spot #1: Problems with pesticides
Many farmers will tell you that pesticides are their first choice for pest control. At first, pesticides appear to get the job done. There are fewer pests and higher crop yields. But after a while, you’ll notice that pesticides don’t only kill pests. They also kill many of the good insects – those friendly insects that help you by eating insect pests. Before you spend money on pesticides, be aware that pesticides kill beneficial insects too.
- END -

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Spot #2: Insects develop resistance to pesticides
Do you use chemicals to control pests? If you use only pesticides for pest management, here’s something to consider… Over time, pests can become resistant to pesticides. This means that the pests are no longer killed by the chemicals. What happens is that the chemicals kill the weakest insects. This leaves the strongest insects to breed a new and stronger generation of pests that are not affected by the pesticide. So the pesticides don’t work any more.
- END -

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Spot #3: Use a combination of pest control methods
Many farmers ask themselves how they can possibly protect their crops without pesticides. The best way to control pests is to use several methods at the same time. Rotating crops, fertilizing the soil, hand-picking insects, and intercropping are all good strategies for crop protection. And a combination of three or four of these methods is best. If one method fails for some reason, the other methods will still protect your crop.
- END -

—

Spot #4: Learn about the life cycle and behaviour of crop pests
If you’re planning a pest control strategy for your next crop, start with learning about the pest. Learn as much as possible. Learn about its life cycle, where it lives, how it behaves, and when it does the most damage to your crop. Find out about its natural enemies, and the relationship between the pest and your crop. You can do this by watching the pest carefully in the field. You may be surprised to know that some insects have three different stages of development, while others have four stages. And some insects have mouths that suck and others have mouths that bite. An agricultural extension agent can help you learn more about the pests in your region.
- END -

—

Spot #5: When should you control a pest?
Why is it so important to learn about the pests in your field or garden? If you know what a pest looks like at each stage of its development, you can decide when it’s easiest to control. Some pests are easier to control as eggs, some as larvae, and some once they become adults. You also need to know when exactly the insect feeds on the crop. Does it feed in the day or at night? In what season is it a problem? You don’t want to waste time or money trying to control a pest when it’s not even bothering the plant.
- END -

—

Spot #6: Prevent insects from becoming pests
Good crop management is one of the best ways to reduce the pest population. For example, if you fertilize the soil well, the plants will get all the nutrients they need. If they get all the nutrients they need, they will stay healthy and suffer less damage from pests. Selecting good seeds is another way to make sure crops can resist pests. And rotating crops makes it difficult for pests to survive in the same location year after year. All these practices help prevent insects from becoming a problem in the first place.
- END -

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Spot #7: Diversify crops to reduce pest damage
If you plant many different crops and crop varieties together in your garden or field, insects will do less damage to your crops. If you plant a large area with one crop, it’s easy for pests to find the crop. But if you plant many different crops in small areas, or in rows beside other crops, it’s harder for the pests to find the crops they like to eat.
- END -

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Spot #8: Experiment with different pest management strategies
When you decide what combination of pest control methods to use, you can always experiment with a few different methods. Find out what combination works best. When you are choosing your methods, you need to be creative and consider the problems carefully. Remember! Insects are not just enemies that will destroy your crops. They are part of the natural environment. In a balanced environment, both insects and people have enough to eat. Using only chemical pesticides changes the balance in nature. But by using several different control methods at one time, you can find a way to work with nature, instead of against it.
- END -

—

Acknowledgements
Contributed by Jennifer Pittet, researcher/writer, Thornbury, Canada.
Adapted from Developing Countries Farm Radio Network Package 28, number 3, What is integrated pest management?, and Package 38, number 10, Integrated pest management: radio spots.
Reviewed by Hélène Chiasson, PhD, Codena inc., Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu, Québec, Canada.
Information Sources
Interview with Hermogenes Castillo, P.Agr., Guatemala City, Guatemala, 1992.
Manejo integrado de plagas insectiles. Guatemala City: ALTERTEC, 1992.

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This week’s top story discussed the value of traditional crops and mentioned some methods that farmers use to preserve and promote traditional varieties. This week’s script, from Package 56, provides more detail about one of these methods – a community seed bank. The script explains that a community seed bank protects local crops, which may be rare or especially well adapted to local conditions, and is an emergency seed source if crops fail due to disease, pests, or bad weather.

You can also find this script online at:
http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/56-5script_en.asp

If you air this script, you may wish to use the following companion scripts, as well. These describe how to organize people to participate in the bank, how to collect the seeds, and how to store the seeds in the
bank:
-“Starting a community seed bank” (Package 56, Script 6, July 2000)
-“Collecting seeds for a community seed bank” (Package 56, Script 7, July
2000)
-“Storing seeds in a community seed bank” (Package 56, Script 8, July 2000)

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Some of your urban listeners may be interested in starting a personal or community garden, but not know where to begin. This script provides details on how to start a rooftop garden – designing it so it will not be too heavy for the roof, choosing crops that work best in shallow gardens, and watering and fertilizing to get the best yield. The techniques described in the script can be used to grow food on other concrete slabs, such as a driveway, sidewalk, or a section of a parking lot.

This script can also be found online at:
http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/39-2script_en.asp.

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The farmers quoted in this week’s news stories from Senegal and Cameroon also described various expenses that they incur to operate their farms, and inputs they would like to invest in, if they could afford it. These range from seeds and fertilizer to farm labour and tractors.

During this period of fluctuating input costs and crop prices, it is more important than ever for farmers to use a budget. A budget can help ensure that farmers earn a profit and helps them to decide where to invest resources. In this week’s featured script, (Package 61, Script 2, October 2001) the character of a farmer named Ekua describes how she makes her budget and why she believes a budget is the most important part of a successful farm. You can find this script online at: http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/61-2script_en.asp. This script can be used in conjunction with Script 1 from Package 61, “Farmers profit from a budget” (http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/61-1script_en.asp).

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As this week’s news story about bee products mentions, beekeeping is often promoted as a sustainable livelihood for rural people. Since bees feed on and promote the growth of natural vegetation, the environmental impact of beekeeping is minimal. This week’s script features an interview with Linus Wekesa, a researcher in improved beekeeping practices. Mr. Wekesa explains the beekeeping practices that he promotes as part of his work with the Desert Margins Program in dryland Kenya – a program aimed at enhancing food security and alleviating poverty by halting or reversing desertification.

This script can also be found online at:
http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/79-1script_en.asp

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This week’s featured scripts are a good example of how drama can convey important messages in an entertaining way. In this two-part series on maternal health, we see how traditional and non-traditional beliefs play out as newly-married couple Azuma and Tontie make their home and prepare for the birth of their first child. Through characters who are easy to relate to, the drama conveys vital messages about maternal healthcare during pregnancy, labour, and following the birth.

These scripts are a final preview of DCFRN’s latest script package, which was mailed to partners on March 31 and will be posted online later this month. If you missed the previews of scripts on rainwater collection and financial management on the farm, you may link to them here:
-“Rainwater from large rock surfaces can be used to irrigate crops” (Package 83, Script 9)

-“Financial Management for Smallholder Farmers” (Package 83, Script 10)

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Package 83, Script 1
March 2008
___________________________________________________________________

Maternal health, part one
___________________________________________________________________

Notes to Broadcaster

In most rural communities in Ghana, women are seen as part of the husband’s property, a farmhand and a domestic servant, rather than being a partner on equal footing who should participate actively in all decisions affecting the family. The woman’s subordinate position is further heightened by the bride’s wealth her husband pays to her parents.

Women are not involved in decision-making even in such important matters as the need to save money for antenatal and postnatal clinic attendance. When complications occur, either before, during or after delivery, the woman is often left to her fate. This is one of the reasons why child and maternal mortality rates are so needlessly high in this part of the world.

If the UN Millennium Development Goals are to be achieved, especially in the area of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health, then strong advocacy will be required to remove all such cultural barriers to women’s wellbeing.

As always, try to adapt the script to your local situation. What are the community values concerning childbirth and delivery in your listening audience? Do men and women discuss these matters and make plans together? Are there different opinions on these issues in your community? What do local health practitioners advise? Can health clinics and Traditional Birth Attendants work together? You might want to have a call-in program on these issues, or even conduct a roundtable discussion between listeners with different opinions.

This is part one of a two-part drama. In part one, the setting and some of the main characters are introduced. In the second part of the drama, the action develops and comes to a conclusion. It is recommended that these two scripts be played back-to-back, or on two successive days. You might want to market the drama with a short advertisement or “teaser,” which offers a brief description of the drama or a short audio clip, in order to entice the listeners.

Characters
1. Meeri
2. Haduong (two women friends married into the same clan, the Buwa clan)

Setting: rural community

Scene 1: Gossip on the way to the village waterhole

Background to Scene 1:

It is the dry season and two women in a hypothetical rural community are on the way to a water hole two miles away to fetch water. The clan to which the community belongs is an exogamous one, which means that the men of the clan pick their wives from other clans. Usually the bridegroom-to-be, after sending kola nuts and drinks to his bride’s family, arranges to elope with her to his home. When a new bride is brought into the community, a dance is staged to welcome the bride, and as an honour to the bridegroom.

In scene 1, a new bride has just been brought to the community through elopement, and that is the event the two women are gossiping about. The clan is also a polygamous one, and wives are generally treated as chattel or possessions.

1. Music Signature tune up. Hold 10 seconds and fade out.

2. SFX Ululation of a woman (two successive blasts) and fade out.

3. Hadoung: (Alarmed) What are you up to, woman?

4. Meeri: (Teasingly) Why? Are you afraid?

5. Hadoung: (Sternly) You know for sure that every ululation serves a definite purpose in this community and mustn’t be abused.

6. Meeri: Yes, of course I know that when a hunter kills big game with bow and arrows, especially if it is a ferocious beast like a lion or leopard, his prowess is greeted with ululation.

7. Hadoung: That’s right! Tradition sees it as a feat of skilful marksmanship. Rare bravery. Yes, what else?

8. Meeri: Ululations announce the coming of a newborn baby.

9. Hadoung: That’s another. Yes?

10. Meeri: And thirdly, when a ceremonial dance reaches the peak of frenzy, ululation goes with the excitement.

11. Hadoung: (Amused) Like the bridal dance waiting for us any moment – and dance we must, whether willing or unwilling. Have you hit the end of the road?

12. Meeri: No! Lastly, the ululation that announces the elopement of a bride into the community. This is the situation at hand now.

13. Hadoung: As happened to you and I following our elopement years ago. I remember that day when I was treated like a queen, sitting on my throne, feet in a basin, and powdered white like a ghost. They honour you for one day with a dance as a mother-to-be, the mother of a worthy ancestor lurking for the opportunity to re-incarnate, for clan continuity. (Both laugh).

14. Meeri: Isn’t it tragic that, despite our sacred role as mothers of the clan, we are treated as nothing better than chattels and farmhands?

15. Hadoung: Now seriously, Meeri, in which of these contexts did you make that ululation which could bring the whole community charging?

16. Meeri: Don’t worry. They’re too busy preparing for the bridal dance to have heard the ululation. Even if they heard me, they would probably associate it with the new elopement that is the story of the moment. Barring that, I would still have a way out. The mouth that talks itself into trouble, must find a way of talking itself out.

17. Hadoung: (Teasingly).Yes, that’s witty, Meeri.

18. Meeri: Wit is essential for self-preservation. It’s because of hot food that God gave everyone two jaws. (Pause) The spring has given enough water to fill our pots. Let’s hurry home.

19. SFX: Intermittent sound of water being scooped from a spring to fill a container.

20. Hadoung: (Excitedly) Hush, Meeri. Listen. What am I hearing?

21. SFX: Fade in dance music under voice.

22. Meeri: (Equally excited) The dance has started; the bridal dance that welcomes every bride who has eloped into this community.

23. Hadoung: After the welcome celebration, what next? The bride becomes a sex machine, the bridegroom’s personal property, a scarecrow, a farm labourer; doomed to join us, the voiceless lot.

24. Meeri: Let time sort things out. She might have a better fate than you and I. But for now, we must hurry home for the dance.

25. Music Bring up dance music and hold 1:30” and fade out.

Scene 2: The need to save money for antenatal and postnatal care.

Characters
1. Tontie (A newly married young man)
2. Azuma (Tontie’s newly married wife)
3. Halosu (Tontie’s mother, mother-in-law to Azuma)
4. Assemblyman
5. 1st Neighbour (male)
6. 2nd Neighbour (male)

Setting: rural community

Background to Scene 2 and synopsis of action

The people of Buwa clan observe specific gender roles. Roles such as pounding in a mortar, grinding on a stone, fetching water and gathering firewood are considered feminine roles. A man seen performing any of the above roles is mocked as being tied to the apron strings of his wife. It is in light of this that Halosu, coming across her son pounding fufu, feels disgusted. She raises the alarm, attracting neighbours to the scene. The Assemblyman of the area steps in to calm the situation, and takes the opportunity to advise Tontie and his wife Azuma to save money in preparation for the woman’s maternity needs. At the tail end of the drama, Azuma vomits, one of the symptoms of an early stage of pregnancy.

26. SFX Pounding of fufu for 10 seconds and fade under Halosu’s voice.

27. Halosu: Ah! What pleasant smell is this that fills the air? Some aromatic stew somewhere, teasing my nostrils. Must be where the pounding sound is coming from. My ears and nose have done well, leading me to that appetizing source. Hmm, how my mouth waters! (On tracing the aroma to the kitchen, Halosu bumps into her son pounding fufu while her daughter-in-law sits on a stool kneading the fufu in a mortar. Traditional customs frown on a male pounding. She exclaims) Hei! What am I seeing here?

28. Azuma: (Happily) Mother-in-law. You have good timing, coming on time for your share. Fufu is fufu. But as soon as you eat it, it turns into you.

29. Tontie: (In a hesitant voice, expecting his mother to be angry) With some wonderful soup to go with it.

30. Halosu: (Angrily) Don’t talk to me!

31. SFX Fade out the pounding sound.

32. Azuma: Who? Me?

33. Halosu: (Loudly proclaiming) Kinsmen and women, neighbours of our Buwa
Community, come and witness the abomination of the century. My son Tontie and his newly married wife, Azuma, have exchanged sexes, he now the he-woman pounding fufu, and she the she-man being the director of kitchen business. Oh! Oh! Oh! O! Watch things, and see for yourself!

34. Azuma: (Surprised and worried) What is our mother up to, my husband?

35. Tontie: (In a pleading whisper) Mother, what have we done to warrant such an embarrassment? I know that our clan regards pounding, grinding, and carrying of firewood as feminine roles, and you, my biological mother, have sniffed me out doing the unexpected. But why should you betray me thus?

36. SFX: Noisy crowd. Fade under the following dialogue.

37. 1st Neighbour: What is happening in this kitchen? I saw people charging in this direction.

38. 2nd Neighbour: I was also driven here by curiosity, though I know that it is risky following a mob. (Whispering) But you can see things for yourself. Tontie’s mother caught him pants down, pounding fufu for his new bride. She’s mad that her daughter-in-law is subjecting her son to what she sees as a feminine role.

39. 1st Neighbour: (Sentimentally) The old lady is totally right. Note this bad precedent well. Soon our wives will begin to order us about. You’ll not only have to pound fufu, and grind millet while humming a song – you’ll have to go to the bush for firewood. (Both laugh)

40. 2nd Neighbour: Nonsense! God forbid!

41. Assemblyman: My dear fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters, it is good community spirit to respond spontaneously to alarms. But this particular call is not a call of distress. It’s a slight domestic affair, requiring exclusive family settlement. If you wouldn’t mind, I suggest you retire to your activities and leave the rest to me.

42. SFX Bring up noisy murmuring of crowd.

43. Crowd: Good talk, Assemblyman. Winner man! Winner man!

44. SFX Fade out noisy murmuring of crowd.

45. SFX Assemblyman, Halosu, Tontie and Azuma are left alone, with Azuma and Tontie sobbing. Fade the sobbing under narration.

46. Assemblyman: Now. Halosu, my mother’s good friend, these two are your son and daughter-in-law. Because of the generation gap, we the youth and our older neighbours sometimes misunderstand one another. But that mustn’t create the tears that I am seeing here. Tears not only show concern, but also seek remedy.

47. SFX Bring up the sobbing.

48. Assemblyman: You two must know that dialogue solves misunderstandings better than tears. Be the man that your mother wants to make of you, Tontie. No one should tell you that sobbing is uncharacteristic of Buwa men. Your wife has rather proved to be more hardened. She should have been wailing.

49. Halosu: You can clearly see the woman in him! Unbelievable!

50. Tontie: (Increased outburst of sobbing, mingled with extreme anger) She’s betrayed us to witches! Witches! Why did you do this to us, haa? Mother!

51. Assemblyman: I least expect this from you, Tontie. Calm your temper and let the day intervene for us. Witches are nocturnal functionaries. If you settle your differences in the day, they’ll have no reason to strike in the night.

52. SFX Fade out sobbing.

53. Tontie: Assemblyman, were you not the person who counselled me the night the whole community danced my bride’s welcome dance, that marriage is not based on a 50 / 50 relationship? Do you remember?

54. Assemblyman: Certainly.

55. Tontie: And that each spouse must be willing to yield 97% of his or her rights to the other?

56. Assemblyman: If spouses are not willing to show flexibility to each other, the marriage won’t hold.

57. Tontie: You said that in any relationship as intimate as marriage, there must be sharing of responsibilities.

58. Assemblyman: And abilities.

59. Tontie: (Mutters, under his breath) I wish my mother was with us that day to hear your wise counsel.

60. Assemblyman: Leave it there, my good brother, and let’s hear our bride too. Yes Azuma, gone are the days when women had no voices. The dominating attitude of our men must change, and bring women too into decision-making processes.

61. Azuma: Your counselling said it all. Guided by it, we shared responsibility for pounding fufu, each according to his ability, for the entire family. My husband has the energy to pound, and I the skill to shape the result in the mortar. Which of the two roles is more risky? (Sudden change of mood to anger) What if the pestle crushed my fingers? I would have only one hand left for the rest of my life. How would I live in a community like …

62. Assemblyman: (Cutting in) Enough! We shall hear our mother too.

63. Halosu: You see, youth sleep under the starry sky during the dark moon against my advice. (Shouting) They don’t know the dangers involved! You’ll never have a child for as long you keep sleeping in the open! Be warned!

64. Assemblyman: Don’t spoil the broth, Mum. Shouting will only inflame passions the more. All we need is the reason for that which I don’t know either.

65. Halosu: All evil things like darkness. If I’m lying, tell me I’m lying.

66. Assemblyman: I don’t think you’re lying.

67. Halosu: Good. That is why illness gets worse in the night. If a woman keeps sleeping in the open at night during a dark moon, there is an evil bird that flies silently across the sky in the dead of night. If the evil bird flies across a pregnant woman, the pregnancy disappears!

68. The other three: (Unanimous exclamation by the three listeners) Oooooooh!

69. Halosu: It is worse if the pregnant woman is lying on her back with her stomach shown to the sky.

70. The other three: (Another resounding exclamation from the three listeners) Oooooooh!

71. Halosu: Are you mocking me?

72. The other three: No. Why should we?

73. Assemblyman: Mum, to be frank, I don’t know if the bird that supposedly flies at night in the dark moon will prevent women from getting pregnant. I do know that, in our hot climate at this time of year, it may be more comfortable to sleep out of doors. But sleeping outside may heighten the risk of malaria, so it is always recommended that pregnant women sleep under insecticide-treated bednets.

74. Halosu: Well, the choice is yours. When the sick hour comes…

75. Tontie: Comes from where?

76. Assemblyman: Friend of my mother, you go, I beg, and leave the matter to me. (Exit Halosu)

77. Azuma: Fancy that, Assemblyman. Your community is very fussy about gender roles, but I don’t see any roles that women can play that men can’t, except women’s biological role of carrying a baby in the womb, which is God-given.

78. Assemblyman: I agree with you, Azuma. I agree that all other roles except carrying a baby are culturally determined. Be advised, Tontie. Do not let people interfere too much in your marital affairs. I fear the outcome.

79. Azuma: Assemblyman, you did a good thing advising my husband to do what most men do not do in this community, sharing responsibilities with his spouse. However, there is one entrenched attitude left that you need to advise him to change for the better.

80. Assemblyman: I promise to do everything that I can to make your marriage fruitful. What attitude of his requires change?

81. Azuma: He doesn’t want to sit with me to discuss anything about our mutual welfare. He takes decisions affecting both of us alone. I see the need for us to save money so that I can visit the antenatal clinic regularly. The need is coming faster than …

82. Tontie: (Irritated, cutting in): She expects me to sit by her side always like a maid. She talks too much about money. What will people say seeing me in her kitchen all the time?

83. Assemblyman: She has raised important points. It isn’t easy going through pregnancy for nine months. Pregnancy has specific health needs. So does delivery. You must have money on hand for any eventuality. While maternal health services are now free of charge in Ghana, you should set aside funds in case certain drugs or supplies are out of stock at the health facility. Also, there can be complications and she may need to be taken by emergency transport to another hospital.

84. Tontie: But you know that we are poor in this community. We don’t have money
for this. (In a firm voice, making a decision) My mother is a Traditional Birth Attendant, and she will handle any emergency.

85. Assemblyman: This may not be wise. There could be complications. And, Tontie, even though we are poor, we have the means to save a little from time to time to meet the needs of pregnancy and childbirth. You will need to make advance arrangement for transport, and will also have to buy supplies for delivery. Pregnancy and childbirth are family affairs. So your wife herself should be a central player in decisions relating to her own care.

86. Azuma: Working occasionally for a wage and saving it is one way. We have poultry and goats and sheep. If we raise more animals, we can sell some to add to our savings. Our cotton can also give us some money during the selling season. I can also prepare some shea butter for sale. With a little seed money, there are many income-generating activities that we can engage in.

87. Assemblyman: The District Assembly and some Non-Governmental Organizations are starting some poverty reduction programmes. I shall look around to see which of them could be helpful to our community.

88. Tontie: (In a hard voice) I have made my decision. The baby will be delivered by my mother.

89. SFX Azuma vomiting, fade under voice.

90. Assemblyman: Oh sorry, Madam. Tontie, support her, in case she falls over.

91. Tontie: Have you missed your period?

92. Azuma: (Speaking with difficulty) Y-y-y-yes.

93. Assemblyman: You know what that means. There is no time to stand and stare any longer. It is time to start the preparations. Start the savings immediately. Think of all the useful money-raising ventures that she has just spoken of. Good luck! I’m off.

94. SFX Tontie sighs deeply.

Acknowledgements
Contributed by: Tennyson Wubonto, Ghana Community Radio Network.
Reviewed by: Ellen Brazier, Anglophone Africa Program Director, Family Care International.

Program undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

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Package 83, Script 2
March 2008
___________________________________________________________________

Maternal health, part two
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Notes to Broadcaster

Pregnancy-related problems that women face are many, and, in most cases, unpredictable. Some of them lead to death or permanent injury. Social, political or economic factors should not be allowed to deny a woman her fundamental right for a healthy pregnancy and childbirth. Reducing maternal deaths is therefore a matter of rights and an urgent priority. That is why every family needs to be encouraged to make savings in advance preparation for emergencies. Fortunately, modern medicine has the capacity to handle most of the problems in health facilities.

Both mother and baby stand to benefit from treatment at a health facility. Some treatments at the prenatal stage have the benefit of preventing children from being born with complications and defects. In the home delivery in this drama, the placenta retention could have resulted in death.

This is part two of a two-part drama. In part one, the setting and some of the main characters are introduced. It is recommended that these two scripts be played back-to-back, or on two successive days. You might want to market the drama with a short advertisement or “teaser,” which offers a short description of the drama or a short audio clip, in order to entice the listeners.

Characters
1. Azuma (Tontie’s wife, also a daughter-in-law to Halosu)
2. Tontie (Azuma’s husband, Halosu’s grown-up son)
3. Halosu (Tontie’s mother, mother-in-law to Azuma)
4. Nurse (A community health nurse, who pays routine visits to the community)

Synopsis:

Azuma, who got married to Tontie in the first part of this drama, is in labour at home, being attended to by Tontie’s mother, Halosu. Azuma did not go to a health facility as earlier developments led one to hope. She succeeds in delivering a baby boy but retains the placenta, thereby bleeding profusely. Halosu, the mother-in-law and Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA), accuses her of infidelity, believing that this is the reason the clan gods and ancestors are visiting punishment on her by causing the placenta to be retained. Halosu’s belief is a common one in her community. Fears of infidelity are usually confirmed by divination. When the placenta is retained, there is no other verdict but guilty.

During a routine visit, a community health nurse sees Azuma. Her intervention saves Azuma’s life. Subsequently, she advises Tontie and his mother on the importance of antenatal and postnatal care, insisting that even though they risked denying Azuma the essential prenatal care, she must receive postnatal care.

1. Music Signature tune up. Hold 10 seconds and fade out.

2. SFX The cry of a newborn baby.

3. Azuma: (Groaning in pain) Take me to hospital, my mother-in-law.

4. Halosu: This is no hospital matter. You only need to confess your unfaithfulness to my son, and the placenta will come out. You certainly know that our gods hate infidelity on the part of a woman.

5. Azuma: (Sounding angry, feeble, and sobbing) I have not been unfaithful to your son. Which man in this community have you ever seen me with? I’m not a rotten woman. Please, stop ruining my good name and take me to hospital before I bleed to death.

6. Halosu: Well, the diviner said it. The fact that you are retaining the placenta clearly confirms your unfaithfulness. I know your type very well.

7. SFX: Sound of a vehicle.

8. Azuma: Oh my God! Maybe it is the Assemblyman?

9. SFX Barking of a dog. Enter community health nurse.

10. Nurse: (Teasingly) Ha-lo-su. Conducted your own daughter-in-law’s delivery. Hey! A bouncy baby boy, too.

11. Halosu: (Sighing) Hmmm. Not without a problem. She has retained the placenta and is bleeding profusely.

12. Nurse: But why? I advised you to make arrangements in advance for transportation to carry her to hospital at the slightest sign of labour.

13. Halosu: I am a TBA myself.

14. Nurse: Ahaa! Now I understand why you haven’t sent her to hospital. As a TBA, what do you do in a situation like this, when a woman gives birth retaining the placenta?

15. Halosu: She delivered the baby alright, but retaining the placenta is the result of her unfaithfulness to my son.

16. Azuma: (On hearing this, Azuma begins to sob) Lies! Who told you that? I wish you could enter my heart to see my innocence.

17. Nurse: Don’t weep, my dear. God is great. Science is too. All will be well soon. We have to let the child suckle without further delay. Poor thing.

18. Halosu: (Protesting vehemently) No, no, no! We can’t suckle him on the first milk.

19. Nurse: Why not?

20. Halosu: It’s bitter milk. It failed the ant test (Editor’s note: see note at end of script for explanation of the ant test), and has to be expressed and thrown away to allow fresh, clean milk to form, which is then good for sucking. Apart from that, we have to bathe both mother and baby first.

21. Nurse: Never mind. I know what I am doing. This first milk that the people here term bitter milk is the best for the baby. It is God’s own immunization against diseases. Just watch me!

22. Halosu: Well, I’m watching. Our people say if you hurt a witch, you may as well pray that night won’t come.

23. Nurse: Yes, but also note the Chinese saying that the one who says that a thing cannot be done should not interrupt the one doing it. You see how vigorously the baby is sucking? Now, hold the placenta and pull it gently and let’s see what happens.

24 Halosu: Look, it’s coming! (Surprised and a little reluctant) Hmmm …

25. Azuma: (Sigh of relief) Thanks, nurse! Where diviners were ruining my life, reputation and marriage, you came to mend my soul and preserve my chastity.

26. Nurse: Let all thanks go to God. How do you feel now, dear?

27. Azuma: Better, except dizzy.

28. Nurse: With so much loss of blood, it’s natural to feel dizzy. You should drink a lot of fluids. A meat-based broth would be good, because you also need iron. And we should take you to a health facility as quickly as possible. Don’t try to get up yet. Halosu, let’s find a suitable place to talk about other matters and give the new mother time to rest. I’ll arrange for transportation to the health facility.

29. Music Play health-related music to link to the next piece.

30. Halosu: Now, explain your miracle.

31. Nurse: When the nipple is stimulated through the sucking, it produces a substance in the body, a hormone called oxytocin. This hormone causes the muscles of the woman’s uterus – the bag where the baby was growing – to tighten and contract. When the uterus tightens like this, it helps the placenta to separate from the uterus so that it can come out as it should. By the way, Tontie, why didn’t you send your wife to hospital as I advised?

32. Tontie: You see, the labour took us by surprise.

33. Nurse: I won’t accept that. If she had been attending a health facility regularly, healthcare providers would have been able to figure out her due date, an estimate of the day her baby would be born. Most babies are born within two weeks before or after their due date. The labour wouldn’t have taken you by surprise.

34. Tontie: (Angrily) I have told you that my mother could handle all emergencies. I
am the husband, and I made the choice not to set aside funds for delivery or allow Azuma to go to prenatal care.

35. Nurse: Your mother thought that, being a TBA, she could handle the labour. But some of the complications of pregnancy and childbirth cannot be handled by Traditional Birth Attendants!

36. Halosu: (Pause) Well, all I can say is that I’m happy it’s over.

37. Nurse: And now she needs postnatal care. Here’s what happens with prenatal visits. At a woman’s first prenatal care visit, healthcare providers counsel her on the importance of proper nutrition, diet, and exercise. They ask the woman about her health and her partner’s health; they identify any medical problems; they weigh her and check her blood pressure, and they check a urine sample for infection. The Traditional Birth Attendant cannot take these precautions.

38. Tontie: (Quietly, ashamed) We were not aware that these things would happen.
There were no signs of trouble …

39. Nurse: In later prenatal visits, the health providers measure the woman’s belly to see how the baby is growing; they check her hands, feet and face for swelling; they listen to the baby’s heartbeat; later on, they feel her abdomen to assess the baby’s position. They also ask the woman if she has any other personal concerns bothering her. You took a big risk denying her all these vital services

40. Halosu: (Still a little hostile, but with some respect) Well, nurse, what do you think we should do now?

41. Nurse: Postnatal care is equally important in ensuring good health for mother and child. In the first few days after delivery, when her breasts begin to produce milk, she can have engorged or swollen breasts if care is not taken. She’ll also need to know how to prevent cracked nipples. There is a lot to know about. Simply let her access the nearest health facility.

42. Halosu: Already she complains of dizziness.

43. Nurse: Yes, I have arranged for transportation, which should arrive very soon. With the dizziness, we can’t always tell what might be happening. So this time round, be advised.

44. Tontie: (Speaking slowly) I may have made a mistake which put my wife and my newborn child at risk. I do not wish to repeat such a mistake. I promise you that, if we are blessed with another pregnancy, I will ask your advice, nurse.

45. Halosu: (Reluctantly, with respect) Yes, nurse; it seems that modern science does have something to offer. I also do not want to place my daughter-in-law at risk again.

46. Narrator: (Pause) Maternal mortality is a global issue. It is estimated that at least 583,000 women die each year around the world from the complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Be advised!

47. Music Play choral music of women (particularly, about women’s welfare), and exit.

Acknowledgements
Contributed by: Tennyson Wubonto, Ghana Community Radio Network.
Reviewed by: Ellen Brazier, Anglophone Africa Program Director, Family Care International.

Note: The “ant test” that Halosu refers to is a test which happens after childbirth. When a baby is born, it is not allowed to suck the first milk (colostrum) until a test is carried out to determine whether it is good or bad for the newborn. A bit of the colostrum is expressed into a container and an ant is placed in the milk. If the ant is able to swim out, the colostrum is said to be wholesome for the baby. If the ant is unable to swim out, the colostrum is said to be bad, and is therefore expressed and thrown away. As colostrum is slimy, the ant is often unable to swim out, and so it is denied the newborn.

Program undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

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This week’s featured script comes from DCFRN’s most recent package, which was mailed to our partners on March 31 and will be posted online in the coming weeks. Package 83 focuses primarily on the work of farming, with scripts about health and safety on the farm, marketing agricultural products, and the value of farmers’ cooperatives. It also includes a script on rainwater harvesting, which was featured in Issue 15 of Farm Radio Weekly (http://weekly.farmradio.org/2008/03/17/rainwater-from-large-rock-surfaces-can-be-used-to-irrigate-crops/). Finally, it includes scripts for a two-part drama on maternal health, which will be featured in next week’s Farm Radio Weekly.

Below, please find Script 10 from Package 83, written by Andrew Mahiyu from the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi, a DCFRN partner. In this script, the audience meets Harold, a small-scale tobacco producer in Malawi, who describes how he manages his farming business’ finances. Other characters enter the script, as well, to talk about how good financial management can allow farmers to improve their families’ quality of life. We hope you enjoy this preview of Package 83!

Package 83, Script 10
March 2008
___________________________________________________________________

Financial management for smallholder farmers
___________________________________________________________________

Notes to Broadcaster

Tobacco is the major cash crop in Malawi for both smallholders and larger growers. Burley, Dark-fired and Flue-Cured are the common types of tobacco grown, and over half of tobacco farmers grow Burley. Burley is simple to cure. It is air-cured, unlike the other two types that require a lot of firewood. And with the scarcity of trees, due to deforestation, the number of farmers growing other types of tobacco is likely to decrease.

It is a pity to see that some farmers are growing the crop and receiving a good income, but their lives are not improving. Why is this? Firstly, poor financial management. Secondly, some farmers grow the crop with their spouses, but once the money comes after sales, they forget their spouses. Instead they spend the money in pubs and rest houses until they finish the last coin. Then, they remember their homes. They lie and say they were attacked by thugs. This habit is also promoting the spread of HIV/AIDS, since some of the farmers spend time with sex workers.

These farmers also do not keep farming records. The government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Agriculture and NGOs like the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM) are trying their best to teach farmers the importance of keeping farm records, proper planning, and proper financial management. Those who are taking these messages are prospering. In this script, we meet one such farmer. He loves his wife and children. The script will assist other farmers to know the importance of not only planning and financial management, but involving a spouse in decision-making.

Are there farmers in your listening audience who keep good farm records? Are there farmers’ organizations or extension officers who teach the skills of financial management? Are there farmers who are financially responsible, and do not spend their money on things which hurt themselves and their family? Perhaps you could interview these farmers or extension workers, and help them pass on their knowledge to those in your community who need it.

Near the beginning of the script there is a “teaser.” This is a recorded message from the interview. It is meant to give the audience a small “taste” of the interview to come, and to entice them to listen further.

Presenter: Its time for Farming As Business (Ulimi Ndi Bizinezi).

Signature tune up and fade under presenter.

Presenter: The time to learn and the time to share agricultural knowledge is finally here on Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Radio 1. This is the Farming As Business program. My name is Andrew Mahiyu. (Pause)

Harvesting time is over. Most of you farmers are busy grading and selling your crops. Have you started planning for the next farming season? How do you manage the proceeds from crop sales? Who makes the decisions on how the money will be used? Is it just the man, or do both husband and wife contribute to these decisions? We will learn more about this from our colleague, Mr. Harold Kaliramake of Chikwatula Association in Ntchisi, this afternoon.

In our vernacular language, there is a saying: “An owl respects a tree he sleeps in.” Have you ever heard this before?

Teaser: (Editor’s note: the following quote is part of the interview to come) “I am urging my fellow farmers to always think of their work. An owl respects a tree he sleeps in.”

Presenter: Please stay tuned in, because I will take you to Ntchisi district in Malawi where we will learn something from this saying. We will meet one of the hard-working farmers there. We will also have a guest from the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi later in the programme. Once again, stay tuned.

Musical or advertisement break.

Presenter: As I mentioned earlier, I am taking you to Ntchisi. There we will meet one tobacco farmer. He will tell us what he does after selling his tobacco crop. Let’s get on board. We are lucky – Ntchisi road has just been constructed, so it won’t take us long to get there.

(Sound of car starting, then sound of motor for two seconds, then fading out. Two seconds later, sound of car fades in, hold for two seconds, then stopping).

We are finally here in Ntchisi. Let us go to Chikwatula Association. (Short pause as presenter walks to the field) The farmer in front of us is Mr. Harold Kaliramake, wearing his gumboots, a black pair of trousers and a white shirt. He is busy uprooting tobacco stalks. And some 100 metres from him, the lady in a red dress and a camouflage wrapper is his wife. She’s busy collecting firewood, while singing a traditional song.

Presenter: Hello, Mr. Harold Kaliramake, and welcome to our program this afternoon. What are you doing here?

Harold: Thank you very much. Sorry, we will not shake hands – my hands are dirty, as you can see. I am uprooting tobacco stalks.

Presenter: Why are you uprooting the tobacco stalks?

Harold: After uprooting them, I put them upside down in heaps. These stalks harbour pests and diseases. If you leave them standing for the rest of the season, the pests and diseases will be transmitted to the nearby tobacco crop next season. So I uproot the stalks soon after reaping, and put them upside down. As the stalks dry, the pests die as well. When the stalks are completely dry, I burn them here in the field.

Presenter: I understand that you are now selling your tobacco crop. This is the time of year when most farmers have money. Why do many farmers fail to buy seed that is certified by researchers, and then distributed to the shops? Is the seed expensive?

Harold: This certified seed is not expensive. The reason is that I don’t think these farmers treat their farming as a serious business. One packet of seed – which is enough for a hectare of tobacco – costs 50 Malawian kwacha (Ed. Note: about $0.36 U.S.). Some people might spend more than 1400 Malawian kwacha ($10 U.S.) for beer in one day, and fail to buy seed. That is not taking farming as a serious business. They do not respect their work.

I am urging farmers to take farming seriously as a business. In our vernacular there is a saying: “An owl respects a tree he sleeps in.” In this case, tobacco is our tree, and we need to respect it. We need to do all that we are expected to do. This will lead not only to a better crop, but also better prices on the trading floors.

Musical or advertisement break.

Presenter: You are listening to Farming as Business programme, and we are here in Ntchisi with Mr. Harold Kaliramake. We found him uprooting tobacco stalks. He has told us why he is doing that. Then he told us about the importance of buying certified tobacco seed.

Mr. Kaliramake, how should a farmer spend the money from crop sales? Should the farmer just relax and enjoy?

Harold: First and foremost, a farmer should look at the crop records and see whether there is a profit or a loss. Then the farmer will know what to do next. If you have made a profit, the first thing to do is call your spouse. Show your spouse what profit you have made after selling your crop. Talk about whether you have any outstanding bills to pay – for transport, for labour or other costs. Then, you need to think of the next growing season. Ask yourself questions. For example: what will we need next season as far as our farming is concerned? You may need things like fertilizer, seed, chemicals, labour, and you may need to construct sheds and barns. Ask yourself how much each item will cost. If you do this, you will have your budget. Then you can put aside the required amount of money for those items. If you have some money remaining, you think of family needs: school fees for children, clothes and many more things. If you do not own a radio, you may want to buy one so that you can learn new agricultural technologies through the radio. You might want a bicycle for easy transport, or an oxcart or any other item that is important to the family. The farmer should list whatever is needed and wanted on a piece of paper so that he or she can refer to it when visiting the shops.

Presenter: I thought that this was the time to enjoy oneself in pubs and trading centres with friends. When is the time for that?

Harold: After I have bought the things I mentioned! And when I say enjoying, it means I should include my wife and children. This is because they are the ones who assist me in producing a good crop. We buy enough sugar for tea, at times we buy rice and soft drinks, and we enjoy them at home. We are guided by how much money remains after the agricultural budget. Then we say: “Let us now come and celebrate.” (Laughter)

Presenter: There are some farmers who sell their tobacco, then say to their wives, “I am going to withdraw some money from the bank. I will come home soon.” But once they go, they spend their money drinking beer, messing around with sex workers, and spending nights in rest houses until the money is finished. When they come back home, they say that they have been robbed. What can you advise these farmers?

Harold: Let me start by saying that whenever I want to withdraw money from the bank, from our tobacco proceeds, I do not go alone. I go together with my wife. So my advice is that they should take their spouses along when they make a trip to the bank.

Presenter: Allow me to invite your wife. We need to verify your claim! (Laughter). Please call her for me.

Harold: (shouting) Make mwana? (Child’s mother?)

Mekilida: (off-mic) Bambo? (Yes, father?)

Harold: (shouting) Tabwerani. (Come here.)

Presenter: Welcome to Farming As Business programme. My name is Andrew Mahiyu, and I am here to learn how you and your husband manage your finances. But before we talk about that, what is your name?

Mekilida: My name is Mekilida Banda.

Presenter: How long have you been growing tobacco?

Mekilida: We have been growing tobacco for 10 years.

Presenter: This means you have wide experience in tobacco farming. Please tell us, after selling your crop, when the money is in the bank, who is responsible for the withdrawal of the money from the bank?

Mekilida: We are all responsible. We go together to the bank, so that we can all witness what we have reaped from our work. He loves me and I love him. If there are families who do this separately, they have a problem.

Presenter: Sometimes the husband says that he is going to withdraw the money and he will be back soon. What do you say to a situation like this?

Mekilida: No! That is not good. My husband always says let us all go and witness together. We grow the crop together. We make budgets together, and we see the first and last coin or banknote together.

Presenter: Why does he not go out to enjoy with friends, and spend nights there?

Mekilida: He says that if he goes there, he will drink, and he will be enticed by sex workers, and he will catch the deadly disease AIDS. The result will be that he spoils his life, his children’s future, and our farming. He will also transmit that virus to me. In short, the whole family will be affected and or infected. He doesn’t want this to happen to us.

Presenter: Apart from agricultural inputs, what do you intend to buy this year?

Mekilida: This year, after buying farm inputs, we are planning to buy iron sheets for our house. We built a big house last year, but we did not have enough money for iron sheets to thatch it.

Presenter: Thank you very much, Mrs. Kaliramake, for accepting my invitation to speak on the program this afternoon.

Mekilida: Thank you.

Presenter: Mr. Kaliramake? Where are you? (He is some distance away, collecting uprooted tobacco stalks).

Harold: (He approaches, laughing) I wanted you to talk to that faithful wife.

Presenter: We have heard from your wife that what you said is really true. She says you don’t spend nights out. How dangerous is it to spend nights enjoying yourself in pubs?

Harold: It is very dangerous. Firstly, you may be robbed. Secondly, if you are drunk, sometimes you don’t think properly. You continue spending money without controlling yourself. The next day you find your pockets empty.

Musical or advertisement break.

Presenter: We have been speaking with Mr. Harold Kaliramake and his wife Mekilida. They have taught us the importance of uprooting tobacco stems after harvesting tobacco, the importance of making a budget for the next season after a crop is sold, and, furthermore, the importance of working and budgeting together as a family, both husband and wife.

Just a reminder – this is Farming as Business programme, coming to you from Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Radio 1.

I also have a guest on today‘s programme. He has some important information just for you, which will add to what you have heard from Mr. Kaliramake. Please keep listening.

Mr. Sichali: Good afternoon, dear farmers, wherever you may be this afternoon. My name is Felix Sichali. I work as a retail manager for the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi. This afternoon I want to emphasize that you should take your farming seriously as a business.

I know that most of you are now selling different crops, including tobacco. How do you intend to spend the proceeds? Did you remember to budget for the next farming season? Otherwise, where do you think you will get your farm inputs from? My advice this afternoon is that you should start preparing for the coming season now.

Now I will talk about fertilizer. Fertilizer is very important when it comes to budgeting for another season. There are some crops that do not do well without fertilizer. So I urge you to make good budgets now when you are selling your crops. Ask yourself these questions: What type of crop will I grow next year? If it is tobacco, how many acres or hectares should I grow? How much fertilizer will I need?

After you have sold your crop, this is the time to take part of your income and buy fertilizer in advance. If you buy your inputs now, you will have peace of mind. You do not need to struggle to buy now, unlike when the rains come. During the rains, a lot of people fight for fertilizer at the shop, and some types of fertilizer are scarce at that time. Also, you should know that fertilizer prices fluctuate. You can buy fertilizer at a lower price before the rains, and at a higher price during the beginning of the rains. This means that you can buy more bags now than during the rains when the prices rise.

If you keep cash in your house or bank, hoping to buy later, you may face problems that will need money. Definitely you will use that cash for those problems and your farming will be affected.

So I urge you to buy farm inputs soon after you sell your crops. There are some farmers who think of buying something big after selling their crop – a luxury. They don’t properly plan for next farming season. They might buy a second hand vehicle without properly consulting a good mechanic. Yes, it is important that a farmer should own a vehicle. And it can help a smallholder farmer. But if the car breaks down after a few months, the farmer will not be able to afford to pay for repairs. The farmer has made a big loss. So I urge you to think before you buy any luxurious items. Think of how that item will assist you, and for how long.

Let me go further by thanking the government for introducing the Fertilizer Subsidy Program. This program is a great benefit for smallholder farmers. You can purchase fertilizer at a low price. But you should remember that you can only buy two bags of fertilizer with this program. And most of you use more than two bags of fertilizer per season. So please buy extra fertilizer now. When the program is running, you can supplement the fertilizer you have already purchased. Let us work together with the government, and let us do our part by purchasing part of our requirements. Then, later, we can appreciate what the government has provided for us.

I wish you all the best this crop marketing season.

Musical or advertisement break.

Presenter: That was Felix Sichali, a retail manager from the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi, reminding us how to manage our finances after crop sales. Of course, this applies to many crops, not only tobacco.

My advice is to take extra care when you are selling your crops. Make good budgets for next season, don’t forget to pay your labourers, and remember your children’s school fees, clothes, and other important items needed at home. Lastly, do not sell your crops together with your lives.

On that note, we come to the end of our Farming as Business program for this afternoon.

From me, Andrew Mahiyu, it’s good bye!

Acknowledgements
Contributed by: Andrew Mahiyu, National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM).
Reviewed by: Rex Chapota, National Research Coordinator, African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI), Developping Countries Farm Radio Network, Lilongwe, Malawi.

Special thanks to the Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW) Social Justice Fund for supporting this script package on the work of farming.

Program undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

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DCFRN script Package 83 – which focuses on the work of farming and also includes some scripts on maternal health and a script on rainwater harvesting – will be mailed to our partners and posted online in just a few weeks. But we wanted to provide you with a “sneak preview” of this script, about a new technology for collecting rainwater, in time for World Water Day. We are also pleased to tell you that Package 85, which is scheduled to be mailed later this year, will feature a number of scripts on the subject of water and sanitation.

Notes to Broadcaster

Farmers in the Kibaale District of western Uganda face a number of challenges. One of the chief is crop irrigation. Weather patterns have become unpredictable and unreliable. Traditionally, rains fell from March to May and from August to November. The midpoint of these rainy seasons usually marked the peak rainfall intensity.

Farmers time their farming activities to coincide with the expected weather. For example, during dry months, farmers prepare land, harvest and dry crops. In wet months, they plant seed and apply fertilizer.

But for the last several years, the weather patterns have changed. Rains can come during any month, including those which used to be relatively dry – December, January, February, and June.

One solution to this unpredictability is to harvest as much water as possible, store it safely, and apply it to crops during dry periods or even droughts. But individual farmers cannot afford to purchase conventional irrigation equipment such as treadle pumps and sprinkler kits. Fortunately, in many parts of Kibaale, there are wide rock outcroppings with flat surfaces. Much water can be collected from these rocks during rainfalls, and stored for future irrigation.

This script shows how an agricultural officer has devised a method to capture rainwater from a large rock outcropping and channel it into a cement underground tank. So far, the method has been used only to provide water for domestic animals. However, the water could also be used to irrigate vegetables, bananas and other crops during dry spells. In Kibaale, it is thought that the district would finance the construction of the underground tank, which is the most costly part of the system.

Do farmers in your area irrigate their crops? If so, find out whether they use innovative methods to capture and store rainwater for irrigation? If they do not irrigate their crops, why not? Is there a lack of technical knowledge, or a lack of funds? If there are large rock outcroppings in your listening area, would your district government be interested in experimenting with capturing irrigation water from rock surfaces? Perhaps the scheme could also be financed by farmers’ groups.

Programme signature tune.

Host: Good day, dear farmers, and welcome to our farming programme. Today we will talk about tapping water from the surface of large rocks to use in irrigation. We are privileged to have Mr. Bahindura John with us. Mr. John is an agricultural officer who specializes in irrigation practices and extension of technology to farmers. Please stay tuned.

A short piece of music.

Host: Welcome back after the break. Now we shall ask the extension officer to share his experience on this subject.

Mr. Bahindura John: Thank you and good day to listeners. It is a big privilege to share my experience with the technology for tapping rainwater from rock outcroppings, and storing and using it to irrigate crops.

Host: To start, could you give us a simple explanation of this technology?

Mr. Bahindura John: In brief, this technology involves using rock surfaces, water channels and underground tanks to store water. It is similar to rainwater harvesting methods which harvest water from rooftops and store it in water jars or cement tanks. The difference with this method is that the water can be used not only by the household, but to provide water for domestic animals, and to irrigate crops in the field. Let’s talk about the rock surfaces first. We are looking for rock outcroppings that are relatively large and flat, and where there is a steep incline, so that water can easily run off to a collection point. Some changes have to be made to the rock surface. Remove any dirt and debris, including algae, and then build lines of bricks or stones to direct the water downwards. This directs the rainwater runoff into the tank and helps to speed up the water collection.

Host: Can you explain to us what algae are?

Mr. Bahindura John: These are tiny organisms which cling to the rock surfaces. Usually, algae look like clusters of little green threads.

Host: What materials should be used to build the tank?

Mr. Bahindura John: The tanks are made of chicken wire mesh and cement, and are oval in shape. They are about two and a half metres long, two and a half metres wide, and from four and one half to six metres deep. They should be either lined with plastic sheets or their floor and walls should be cemented.

Host: And how is the water channel constructed?

Mr. Bahindura John: The channel walls can be made of bricks with cement applied to them to protect them from wearing out from contact with water. The width of the channel should be determined by the size and quality of the rock surface from which the water is harvested. Two or more pieces of netting should be placed at intervals along the channel to ensure that any debris in the water is caught before it enters the tank. The debris should be manually removed from the netting from time to time in order to ensure a steady flow of water downstream to the tank. It is important to cover the top of the channel completely with wood, iron sheets or another solid material. This protects the water from contamination by foreign matter such as soil and leaves.

Host: Thank you for your thorough explanation. It seems that, after all, it is not such a complex technology. I hope that many farmers can try it. Could you tell us how the storage tank is managed?

Mr. Bahindura John: The walls and floor of the tank should be scrubbed from time to time. This should be done when there is only a little water in the tank. Contaminants, whether solid or liquid, should be physically removed. The top of the tank must always be covered to prevent any contamination from outside. This covering also helps stops water from evaporating and minimizes any cracking of the tank surface due to expansion and contraction caused by direct sunlight. If any leakages arise, they should be sealed by a technician.

Host: Thank you, Mr. Bahindura. Can you tell us a little more about the costs and benefits of the system?

Mr. Bahindura John: The cost of the tank is 850,000 Ugandan shillings (500 US dollars). In Kibaale, it is anticipated that the district production office would fund the construction of the tank. There are many benefits from bringing rock-channelled water to crops. The first is that water will be more readily available for irrigation throughout the dry season. Secondly, minerals from the rocks will be captured in the water. These minerals can then be taken up and used by plants. Water from rock outcroppings will also improve soil conditions, since more rock particles will be broken down and made available for plant growth. The water would be used mainly to irrigate annual crops and vegetables, for example, cabbages, tomatoes, spinach, carrots, and green peppers.

Host: What acreage of land could be irrigated by the water stored in this size of tank?

Mr. Bahindura John: The water should be sufficient to cover at least an acre, and should last for three months.

Host: What would be the impact on yields and on yield security?

Mr. Bahindura John: Because we have not tried this technology yet for crops, we do not have any figures or estimates. But, it is reasonable to say that, if the crops have an ensured source of irrigation water, yields would increase and the harvest would be more secure.

Host: Do you think that the investment in the tank will pay off?

Mr. Bahindura John: We believe that the investment will pay off. Demand for food has grown, but farmers are still dependent on rainfed agriculture, so irrigation water is valuable and much needed.

Host: Thank you very much, Mr. Bahindura, for enlightening us so thoroughly on this new technology.

Mr. Bahindura John: Thank you for hosting the programme. Thank you for listening. Bye for now.

Host: Listeners, this marks the end of our programme. If you have any questions about this technology, please get in touch with us here at the station, and we will forward your questions to Mr. Bahindura. And don’t forget to tune in next week, same day and time, for yet another useful programme.

Acknowledgements
Contributed by: Anthony Lwanga, Kagadi Kibaale Community Radio, Kagadi, Uganda.
Reviewed by: Chris Reij, Center for International Cooperation, VU University, Amsterdam.

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This week’s news story on the effectiveness of human urine as a fertilizer reminds us that many materials that traditionally go to waste can actually be very valuable – if put to use properly. This week’s featured script discusses how other materials available on farms, such as food waste and crop residues, can be converted into fertilizer through composting. Composting can help increase a farming family’s income in two ways. Applied on their field, compost fertilizer increases crop yields. But it can also be sold for profit.
This script can be found online at:
http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/80-8script_en.asp.

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Over the years, the Developing Countries Farm Radio Network has offered many scripts about the distinctive roles and issues of rural women. These have included interviews with rural women working to improve life for their families and communities, as well as dramas that describe how some women are coping with complex problems. In fact, the latest DCFRN script package focused on the distinctive health issues of rural women and girls (http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/). We invite you to take another look at the following scripts, to see which of these women’s stories may interest your audience:

Beatrice Asimwe, a farmer from Mbarara in Western Uganda, whose innovative rainwater collection techniques have allowed her to pursue new business ventures:
-A woman farmer harvests water and grows vegetables in the dry season (Package 76, Script 9, October 2005)

Wangari Maathai of Kenya, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, who inspires others to conserve fuelwood by using efficient stoves:
-Improved cookstoves make life easier for women (Package 73, Script 2, January 2005)

Elizabeth Mutwa, a lawyer who explains the steps women can take to protect their property rights and prevent “property grabbing” if their husband dies:
-Women, property, and inheritance (Package 73, Script 4, January 2005)

“Ashanti”, the character of a grandmother who learns how to help her daughter, who is suffering from postpartum depression:
-Maternal postpartum depression (Package 82, Script 3, November 2007)

Maimuna Traoré and Mariéme Traoré, members of a women’s group in Malicounda, Western Senegal, who, after learning about the negative health consequences of female genital cutting, mobilized their community to stop the practice:
-No more female genital cutting: Villages in Senegal celebrate 10 years of women’s rights (Package 82, Script 4, November 2007)

“Lada”, the character of a young mother who decides that family planning is important for her health and the well being of her children.
-My body, myself: A woman’s bittersweet choice (Package 57, Script 10, October 2000)

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In January 2005, DCFRN distributed a script package dealing with HIV/AIDS and Food Security. Some of these scripts described ways in which HIV and AIDS can burden women, through increased workloads as farmers and caregivers, and threat of property loss if husbands die. As this week’s news story on commercial farming reminds us, land rights are crucial to women farmers’ ability to make a livelihood.

We invite you to review this script on Women, Property, and Inheritance, which encourages women to know their local laws and take steps to protect their property rights. The script is offered as a sample, with the suggestion that broadcasters may wish to invite local lawyers, paralegals, or community workers knowledgeable about inheritance laws to come to the radio station to discuss women and property rights.

This script can be found online at:
http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/73-4script_en.asp

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In different ways, all of this week’s news stories touched on a question that all farmers face – what amount of available resources should be spent on cash crops versus family food crops? The story about the role of wild fruits and the story about swollen shoot virus in cocoa plants both remind us of the dangers of investing in cash crops alone. At the same time, the story about the use of maize in beer reminds us of the ever changing economics of agriculture that push farmers towards different production priorities.

This script talks about the importance of survival crops – or crops that can provide food in times of hardship, even when farmers are unable to purchase fertilizer or poor climate causes crops to fail.

This script, from Package 73, January 2005, can be found online at:
http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/73-6script_en.asp.

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Throughout our news series on Conflict and Food, we have re-introduced many scripts from Package 67, June 2003, which focused on the theme: “Rebuilding rural lives and livelihoods.” As this news series ends, we invite you to browse through these scripts on topics ranging from resolving local disputes over resources, preparing for food security in the event of a disaster, maintaining health as a refugee, and rebuilding agricultural systems following violent conflict. All of the titles from Package 67 can be found in DCFRN’s online archive of scripts: http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/numerical.asp.

As our last article in the news series looks at how agricultural skills can help refugees maintain food security, we decided to highlight a script that explores another side of the situation. “An Innovative Farmer Grows Food for Crops” describes the real situation of a farmer discovering a way to boost his sweet potato production, so much so that he was able to help support recently-displaced refugees.

This script can be found online here: http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/67-3script_en.asp

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After learning the news about contaminated cooking oil in Mali, we decided to feature a script that describes some of the measures people can take to prevent food contamination in their kitchens. Although this script is directed at small-scale food vendors, the food safety advice is universal.

This script comes from DCFRN Package 46, Script 8, October 1997, and can be found online at: http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/46-8script_en.asp

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This week’s script provides more insight into the work of women who process shea nuts. It talks about The Fakocouru Women’s Binkadi Association in Mali, a group of 850 women who make shea butter. The labour-intensive process of producing shea butter provides the women with income and a useful product for their homes. The script also explains how, by making use of shea nuts, the association helps to preserve the shea trees and thereby fight desertification. You can find the full script below or read it online at:
http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/82-8script_en.asp.

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If your radio organization is in central or eastern Africa, your rural listeners may be particularly interested in this script. It gives further details about the push-pull pesticide control method described in our news story, including some practical information for farmers who may wish to try this technique. The script focuses on how the push-pull method can keep stem borers away from maize.

This script can be found online at: http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/72-10script_en.asp

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While DCFRN scripts are always available online at http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/, we will use this section to highlight some of our new scripts, as well as past favourites that are still relevant today. If you would like to nominate a script for next week’s DCFRN Script of the Week, please post a comment on the FRW website at: http://weekly.farmradio.org/, or e-mail farmradioweekly@farmradio.org.

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