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 African radio broadcasters and producers also won prizes. The winning scripts have been sent out, in English and French, to 500 radio organizations across sub-Saharan Africa who will share the information with rural audiences.

Farm Radio International, in collaboration with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), launched the contest, African Farmers’ Strategies for Coping with Climate Change, in October 2007, as a way of learning about local adaptations to climate change that might help other farmers elsewhere in Africa.

Radio broadcasts inform large numbers of people at low cost because they are spoken-word, often in local languages, and the technologies for broadcasting and receiving broadcasts are widely available and affordable in rural areas.

Fifty-one entries were received from 20 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. All the scripts were prepared with input from local people, especially local farmers. 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. Other winners focused on such topics as the importance of manure, water-conserving irrigation practices, drought-tolerant rice, preventing deforestation, and livestock management.

All 15 winners will receive digital audio recorders. Mr. Ntezimana also will receive a farm radio training/internship sponsored by the German Organization for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). Winners and script titles are:

• Jean-Paul Ntezimana, Radio Salus, Rwanda: Rainfall retention protects soil

• Pius Sawa Murefu, Radio Sapientia, Uganda: Sekedo, a drought resistant sorghum for Karamoja

• Gladson Makowa, The Story Workshop, Malawi: Effect of manure in crops during erratic rain season

• Frederic Takang, Abakwa FM,  Cameroon: Endangered Raphiales: An environmental threat, a danger for the culture and the economy of the grassfields

• Adama Zongo, Radio Rurale du Burkina, Burkina Faso: Organic manure at your fingertips

• Mariama Sy Coulibaly, Afia FM,  Senegal: Fissel farmers don’t pick up straw after harvesting, a method that protects land from heat

• Kwabena Agyei, Classic FM, Ghana: A tale of two changes and movements: Mangoes to the Rescue

• Sachia Ngutsav, Radio Benue, Nigeria: Forests Shall Heal the Land Again

• Lamine Togola, Radio Fanaka, Mali: Natural phenomena and their consequences on the life of rural communities

• Savitri Mohapatra, WARDA, Benin: Growing NERICA is a farming solution for coping with climate change

• Rachael Awuor, Ugunja Community Resource Centre, Kenya: Getting ready to meet different weather patterns

• Dominic Mutua, Radio Mangelete, Kenya: Drip Irrigation

• Félix Houinsou, Radio Immaculée Conception, Benin: How to modify production systems in Africa to cope with climate change

• Joshua Kyalimpa, Opsett Media/Africa Farm Radio Bureau, Uganda: New Rice Variety for Africa to save Wetlands

• Andrew Mahiyu, NASFAM, Malawi: Livestock Management Practices

Farm Radio International is a Canadian-based, not-for-profit organization working in direct partnership with approximately 300 radio broadcasters in 39 African countries who reach an estimated 600 million people in more than 300 languages. FRI supports broadcasters in meeting the needs of local small-scale farmers and their families in rural communities, and helps broadcasters build skills to develop content that responds to local needs. The network facilitates an exchange of information that is aimed at increasing food supplies and improving nutrition and health; is simple, safe and practical; is ecologically sound and environmentally sustainable; can be clearly communicated by radio; has been proven useful and transferable within the developing world; requires only resources ordinarily available to small-scale farmers; requires little or no technical help to implement; and meets the needs of both women and men. FRI was formerly known as Developing Countries Farm Radio Network (DCFRN).

A 2006 scriptwriting contest on the Millennium Development Goals sponsored by DCFRN and UNESCO attracted 26 scripts from broadcasters based in 15 countries.

This story was adapted from a news release entitled Winners Announced in Continent-Wide Scriptwriting Competition: Radio Scripts Focus on Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for African Farmers, Ottawa, Canada, May 27, 2008; from information on the competition website; and from information on the Farm Radio International website. Radio scripts on a wide range of topics can be found on the site, as well as the quarterly Voices newsletters.