Radio helps millions of farmers in Africa
Learn how Farm Radio helped Sahadatu care for her family
“With farming we are able to take care of our families."
“Most of the men in our community did the farming; they did all the farming in the fields. Before the Farm Radio programming women were not actually allowed to farm.
When they introduced us ladies to the programming it was beneficial. Now I cultivate beans, cowpea and occasionally some maize.
I learned that farming is not only for men, that women can do it, too. The main challenge for us is the compost. It is difficult to find proper equipment. It is very difficult carrying the heavy bags to the field. It is also difficult to find proper equipment like plows and hoes.
The programming on Might FM has been very helpful. Before the program it was difficult to manage a household's finances, but with the farming, we are able to take care of our families.
Now I work with other women. We formed farming groups and we help each other carry compost to the fields."
-Sahadatu Alhassan (Ghana)
Listening to Farm Radio programs has taught farmers like Sahadatu about the benefits of composting.
"I used to get only three or four bags of produce. But now, after applying compost on my farm, I am able to get a harvest of sometimes 10 bags."
How you can help make a difference
Provide 20 farming tips for a farmer in Africa
$2 can send 20 farming tips directly to a farmer’s mobile phone from a local radio station.
Help broadcasters & farmers connect
$10 can buy phone minutes for a broadcaster to connect with and share the solutions of farmers like Sahadatu.
Supply a radio for a farmers' listening club
$75 can buy a wind-up and solar-powered radio for a radio listening club in a rural African community.
$2 can send 20 farming tips to a farmer’s mobile phone from a radio station.
Provide 20 farming tips for a farmer in Africa
These informative tips cover critical topics such as
- climate change
- planting practices
- nutrition
Farmers like Sahadatu will use these tips to improve their farming techniques and increase their harvest.
$10 can buy phone minutes and a SIM card for a broadcaster to connect with thousands of farmers like Sahadatu to help them share their farming solutions.
Help broadcasters & farmers connect
These are critical tools for radio journalists as they allow for interviews like the one above with Sahadatu and the arrangement of in-person visits to farmers.
Research tells us that the more farmer voices are on the air, the more likely other farmers are to trust the information and make a positive change as a result.
$75 can buy a wind-up, solar-powered radio for a radio listening club in rural Africa.
Supply a radio for a farmers' listening club
Radio listening clubs (of about 10 to 25 members) are a way for communities to listen to farming programs as a group.
Communal listening has been proven to be a more effective way of reaching farmers with critical information, especially women like Sahadatu who traditionally have less access to radio sets.
Why radio?
Popular
Radio is the world’s most popular mass medium, reaching billions of people each year, even in the most remote villages of Africa.
Accessible
Radio is accessible to everyone — men and women, young and old — whether or not they can read or write, no matter where they are.
Affordable
Radio is a cost-effective way to share important information with large audiences. It's affordable for listeners and broadcasters.
What our donors are saying...
Our awards
Farm Radio is the only international non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to using radio as a tool for rural development in Africa.
We have have been recognized for the innovation and impact of our work with awards from the World Summit on the Information Society, the Canadian Council for International Cooperation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Agricultural, Learning, and Impacts Network (ALINe).
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