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In the News

Media Release
May 27, 2008

Winners Announced in Continent-Wide Scriptwriting Competition

Radio Scripts Focus on Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for African Farmers

Ottawa, Canada, May 27, 2008 - A broadcaster from Radio Salus in Rwanda has won the grand prize in a continent-wide scriptwriting competition on climate change adaptation strategies for African farmers, while 14 other radio broadcasters and producers also won prizes for their entries.

In October 2007, Farm Radio International, in collaboration with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), launched African Farmers’ Strategies for Coping with Climate Change, a radio scriptwriting competition for African radio organizations.

The competition was timely, as smallholder farmers in Africa are already experiencing the impact of climate change. Weather patterns are changing, extreme weather events becoming more common, and the threat of food shortages, crop failures, and growing deserts are real and immediate. While African farmers are developing and adapting coping strategies on their own, they need new information about farming methods that minimize the negative impact of climate change. A major challenge is providing such information to large numbers of people at low cost. Radio broadcasts can help address this challenge because they are spoken-word, often in local languages. Because radio builds on Africa’s oral culture, it is not constrained by illiteracy. The technologies for broadcasting and receiving broadcasts are widely available and affordable in rural areas. Contestants were invited to submit a radio script on themes related to local adaptation to climate change. Fifty-one entries were received from 20 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Jean-Paul Ntezimana from Radio Salus in Rwanda impressed the international panel of judges with his script on managing rainwater to prevent soil erosion and provide water for crops. This is an important adaptation practice for farmers who face extremely heavy rains on some occasions and droughts on others. Other winners focused on a variety of topics, including the importance of manure, water-conserving irrigation practices, drought-tolerant rice, preventing deforestation, and livestock management.

All 15 winners will receive digital audio recorders, which will assist them with their work, for example by enabling them to produce programs in the field highlighting the voices of local farmers. Jean-Paul Ntezimana from Radio Salus in Rwanda will receive a farm radio training/internship sponsored by the German Organization for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). Winners will also work with Farm Radio International’s managing editor, using feedback received from contest judges, to improve and finalize their scripts. The winning scripts will then be published in French and English and distributed by CTA and Farm Radio International to approximately 500 radio organizations across sub-Saharan Africa. They will then be transformed into a wide variety of programs and shared with rural audiences.

The winners and script titles are:

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For more information about the competition contact:

Blythe McKay, Development Communication Coordinator, Farm Radio International, bmckay@farmradio.org or 613-761-3652.