Strengthening community radio in rural South Africa

By: Imogen Mathers

We encourage you to republish this article online and in print, it’s free under our creative commons attribution license, but please follow some simple guidelines:

You have to credit our authors.
You have to credit SciDev.Net — where possible include our logo with a link back to the original article.
You can simply run the first few lines of the article and then add: “Read the full article on SciDev.Net” containing a link back to the original article.
If you want to also take images published in this story you will need to confirm with the original source if you're licensed to use them.
The easiest way to get the article on your site is to embed the code below.

For more information view our media page and republishing guidelines.

The full article is available here as HTML.

Press Ctrl-C to copy

<div class="article-wrap">
<div id="article-introduction">
<h1>Strengthening community radio in rural South Africa</h1>
<h4>By: Imogen Mathers</h4>
</div>
<br />
<br />

<div id="article-body">
<p><div class="article-img-gallery" id="image-gallery"><div class="owl-carousel"><div><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_1_taung748_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Vaaltar FM and CRF run local training workshops for young people
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_1_taung748_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Vaaltar FM and CRF run local training workshops for young people
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_1_taung748_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Vaaltar FM and CRF run local training workshops for young people
'></noscript></noscript><p>Vaaltar FM and CRF run local training workshops for young people</p>
<p><em>Children's Radio Foundation/Lerato Maduna</em></p></div><div><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_2_taung341_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='The workshops aim to stimulate debate on issues affecting young people
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_2_taung341_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='The workshops aim to stimulate debate on issues affecting young people
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_2_taung341_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='The workshops aim to stimulate debate on issues affecting young people
'></noscript></noscript><p>The workshops aim to stimulate debate on issues affecting young people</p>
<p><em>Children's Radio Foundation/Lerato Maduna</em></p></div><div><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_3_taung727_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='The trainees learn technical and editorial radio production skills 
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_3_taung727_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='The trainees learn technical and editorial radio production skills 
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_3_taung727_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='The trainees learn technical and editorial radio production skills 
'></noscript></noscript><p>The trainees learn technical and editorial radio production skills </p>
<p><em>Children's Radio Foundation/Lerato Maduna</em></p></div><div><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_4_taung865_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Topics covered include education, HIV, employment and governance
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_4_taung865_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Topics covered include education, HIV, employment and governance
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_4_taung865_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Topics covered include education, HIV, employment and governance
'></noscript></noscript><p>Topics covered include education, HIV, employment and governance</p>
<p><em>Children's Radio Foundation/Lerato Maduna</em></p></div><div><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_5_taung708_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='The workshops help build dialogues between adults and young people
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_5_taung708_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='The workshops help build dialogues between adults and young people
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_5_taung708_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='The workshops help build dialogues between adults and young people
'></noscript></noscript><p>The workshops help build dialogues between adults and young people</p>
<p><em>Children's Radio Foundation/Lerato Maduna</em></p></div><div><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_6_taung254_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Young people can choose to talk about topics that interest or concern them 
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_6_taung254_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Young people can choose to talk about topics that interest or concern them 
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_6_taung254_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Young people can choose to talk about topics that interest or concern them 
'></noscript></noscript><p>Young people can choose to talk about topics that interest or concern them </p>
<p><em>Children's Radio Foundation/Lerato Maduna</em></p></div><div><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/52fce5aeec8d83a4f6000029.jpg' alt='CRF strives to ensure that girls feel confident to get involved in projects
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/52fce5aeec8d83a4f6000029.jpg' alt='CRF strives to ensure that girls feel confident to get involved in projects
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/52fce5aeec8d83a4f6000029.jpg' alt='CRF strives to ensure that girls feel confident to get involved in projects
'></noscript></noscript><p>CRF strives to ensure that girls feel confident to get involved in projects</p>
<p><em>Children's Radio Foundation/Lerato Maduna</em></p></div><div><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_8_taung573_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Vaaltar’s Youth Connection show gives young people a platform to speak 
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img data-src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_8_taung573_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Vaaltar’s Youth Connection show gives young people a platform to speak 
' src='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==' class='lazyload'><noscript><img src='https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/photo_8_taung573_fileminimizer_.jpg' alt='Vaaltar’s Youth Connection show gives young people a platform to speak 
'></noscript></noscript><p>Vaaltar’s Youth Connection show gives young people a platform to speak </p>
<p><em>Children's Radio Foundation/Lerato Maduna</em></p></div></div></div><br />
Radio is vital in Sub-Saharan Africa, where widespread poverty, unreliable electricity and limited literacy often make other media, such as the internet and television, far less accessible.<br />
 <br />
Media access is often particularly constrained in rural communities. This makes radio even more valuable as a tool for spreading information, driving debates on social and political issues, and strengthening people’s capacity to hold decision-makers to account.<br />
 <br />
This photo gallery shows radio training workshops for young people in Taung, a small town in South Africa’s North West province. The workshops are run by Vaaltar FM, a community radio station that broadcasts to 230,000 people, with support from the Children’s Radio Foundation (CRF). </p>

</div>
<div class="quick-links-wrapper">
<h3>You might also like</h3>
[related-articles]
</div>
<p>This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.scidev.net" target="_blank">SciDev.Net</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/global/multimedia/strengthening-community-radio-in-rural-south-africa/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
<script type="text/javascript">
(function(e,t,n,r,i,s,o){e["GoogleAnalyticsObject"]=i;e[i]=e[i]||function(){(e[i].q=e[i].q||[]).push(arguments)},e[i].l=1*new Date;s=t.createElement(n),o=t.getElementsByTagName(n)[0];s.async=1;s.src=r;o.parentNode.insertBefore(s,o)})(window,document,"script","//www.google-analytics.com/ga.js","ga");var _gaq=_gaq||[];var _gaq=_gaq||[];_gaq.push(["_setAccount","UA-3223906-8"],["_trackEvent","article interaction","republished","https://www.scidev.net/global/multimedia/strengthening-community-radio-in-rural-south-africa/",null,true])
</script>
</div>