“One farmer was given free air time on the radio station” Basemere Yvonne

Miss Basemere Yvonne
Kyenjojo FM Staff
Kyenjojo District



After the training a lot of changes have been seen, when I attended the training of ToroDev I was able to meet some farmers who were introduced to our program manager.

One farmer was given free air time on the radio station, he has been on air for more than three times free of charge to share knowledge and information especially on fruit farming.

Kyenjo FM has also started going deep in the hard to reach villages to get farmers voices, record them and air them live on the radio station for better information sharing.

One of the challenges still facing rural FM radio journalists for better rural broadcasting for entrepreneurship development is the uncooperative rural entrepreneurs especially farmers who still fear to approach radio staff for information sharing.

For better broadcasting for entrepreneurship development, the civil society needs to help more in the areas of trainings to both rural radio staff and rural entrepreneurs on issues of broadcasting for entrepreneurship development.

The civil society also needs to sponsor some educative programs for the farmers on different radio stations and finally, radio staff need more facilitation to conduct research and cover stories in the hard to reach areas.

“I have formed an association called Katebwa Sub Country farmers association which we use to market our coffee as a group.” Mr. Muhindo Ezra

Mr. Muhindo Ezra

Coffee farmer

Bunyagabu County

Kabarole District

As a result of ToroDev trainings on Rural FM radio broadcasting for Entrepreneurship Development, I have achieved a lot especially in regard to networking and use of ICT tools for coffee business development.

I have formed an association called Katebwa Sub Country farmers association which we use to market our coffee as a group. We also use it to lobby for radio programs as a group.

Muhindo Ezra in his Coffee Plantation

Radio stations have helped us to market our coffee through our associations we can know where to sale our coffee.

We participate on Voice of Toro Radio by calling in to ask for help when ever the program for farmers is being broadcasted.

As Katebwa Sub county farmers, most of us were not aware of the existence of farmer’s radio programs and how to utilize them to market our produce until we received trainings from ToroDev.

However, the trainings were not enough. I request the civil society for more trainings, on better farming practices, access and use of improved seeds, credit access and market access.

More sensitization is needed on benefits of information and knowledge sharing

Mr Bamanyisa Patrick Black

Program manager

Voice of Toro  

Kabarole district

It’s unfortunate I attended only one workshop of ToroDev to train journalist on broadcasting for business development. A lot was achieved, ideas were shared, information exchanged and yes I appreciate you for the good work, however more and more trainings are needed for sensitize people.



Bamanyisa Patrick



Yes a lot has been improved on our packaging especially for the farmer’s programmes by making them more participatory and conducting more research before broadcasting them.

However, some challenges still remain for instance, people still don’t know how to speak on radio and many fear to come out to speak publically therefore, they need more sensitization because it is affecting information and knowledge sharing which is not good for business development.

"I have been invited on Kyenjojo FM to speak on air at no cost..." Ahebwa Willam

Mr. Ahebwa Willam
Fruits farmer
Kakabara Sub County, Kyegegwa District



I attended all the workshops of ToroDev on Rural FM Radio Broadcasting for Entrepreneurship Development and I am a leader of the Kyegegwa District Radio Listenership Club, I have gained a lot from all the trainings I attended because my fruit market has expanded.

I have been invited on Kyenjojo FM to speak on air at no cost I really appreciate Toro Development workshop for the training.

Before the training with Toro Dev, I didn’t know the importance of the radio as a farmer but after the training, I got to understand that radio stations are the best ways of marketing my fruits and other produce because they are widely listened to.

I have been on Kyenjojo FM teaching other farmers, I have got different clients who ask for my seeds and come to buy them from my home and my agri-business is now expanding to a bigger level.




Ahebwa William (Lef) sharing with ToroDev M&E Officer Amanya Sheila

 
ToroDev has also connected me with different radio staff and I have got so many friends on the radio who help me to advertise my fruits weekly and monthly without any pay.

People have come from all over the region (Rwenzori Region) to buy my products hence increasing my market and income.

However, I still a have a challenge of expensive pesticides for my fruits.
I appeal to the Civil Society organizations to conduct more training and also establish a forum for fruit Farmers for improved knowledge sharing

"Now I listen to farmers programs on radio..." Musana Samuel - Youth Farmer

Mr. Musana Samuel. Busoro Subcounty, Kabarole District

Poultry keeper and farmer


I appreciate ToroDev for all the trainings they provided to me on Rural FM Radio Broadcasting for Entreprenuership Development, out of the training and workshops I attended, I was able to learn a lot especially on how to market my products on different radio stations.

Before the workshops of ToroDev on Rural FM Broadcasting for Entrepreneurship Development, I didn’t know that radio stations can help to market farmers produce, but now I know how to market my produces using radio stations and I can easily approach the radio staff for any help.

Now I listen to farmers programs on Radio stations across Rwenzori Region, this has helped me to get different ideas, knowledge and share issues with fellow farmers. I have to say that I used not to do it before the training workshops of ToroDev.


Musana Smauel in his Poultry Farm


Weaknesses

I still have a problem with Rural FM radio stations because they still do not fully sensitize farmers on where to sale their produce.

Rural FM Radio stations have not yet reached the standards of broadcasting up-to-date information especially on market access, improved seeds, etc.

Efforts needed from the Civil Society on Rural FM Radio Broadcasting for Entrepreneurship Development
Civil Society organisations should sponsor some of the programs on radio like on weather focus.

They should also sponsor farmers and small scale entrepreneurs to appear on radio programmes to share knowledge

Rural Woman maize farmer Embracing ICTs to market her produce

On Thursday 4^th August, 2011 Toro Development Network (ToroDev) Staff had a tiresome but rather fruitful journey to the pre-dominantly maize growing areas of Kamwenge District in Western Uganda.

The reason was to asses’ progress of ToroDev’s in Partnership with Stem van Afrika interventions in Rural FM radio broadcasting for Entrepreneurship Development in the Rwenzori Region.

Muhereza Phobic describing how maize farming has helped her family pay school fees for her four children (one at university) and construct two permanent houses (one commercial in the town council and one residential)

The stop over was Mrs. Muhereza Phoebic maize farm, on the outskirts of Kamwenge town. In November 2010 ToroDev in Partnership with Stem van Afrika organized knowledge sharing and training workshops for small scale rural women and youth grassroot entrepreneurs on how they can use Rural FM radio stations to market their produce, services and information access for small scale rural entrepreneurship development.

The workshop was attended by over 47 women and youth rural small scale entrepreneurs from Kamwenge District. Mrs. Muhereza was one of the participants for the training. Since Rwenzori region in pre-dominantly an agricultural area, most of the participants were farmers.

After the workshop, a radio listenership club was formed for Kamwenge district which among other things was to lobby for better FM radio broadcasting and programming for rural entrepreneurship development.

According to Muhereza, local farmers especially members of the listenership club can now participate on Voice of Kamwenge agricultural radio programmes every Saturdays to share information and market their products because they are more organized and more networked with the radio staff. In addition, they are now more aware of the appropriate times and appropriate radio programs to access information related to markets especially for agricultural products.

The problem she finds in using FM radio stations is the high costs they still charge on advertisements for agricultural produce.

“Apart from FM radio stations, we also use mobile phones for information access and market for our maize. Mobile phones have greatly helped to link us with the middlemen who buy the maize” Says Mrs Muhereza.

Muhereza Using a Mobile Phone for market access

Although Muhereza is a successful maize farmer, to guard against the natural calamities and price fluctuations, she has diversified to poultry and cattle farming.

She attributes her successes to her husband who she describes as “very supportive” and together they have been able to pay school fees to their four children (one at the university) and construct two permanent houses (one commercial in the town council).

Despite all the success, she says the challenges are still quite enormous, “We have had challenges of increasing capital for agribusiness development because of high interest rates for loans from microfinance institutions and other banks and high loan security demands.”

After witnessing the fruits of unity through utilizing the listenership clubs to participate in agbusiness promotion radio programs, Muhereza is now focusing on mobilsing other maize farmers to jointly market and sell their maize produce to avoid exploitation by middlemen.

She adds that joint ventures with other maize farmers will also help reduce on the costs of radio advertisements and ensure better lobbying for better government services like better roads and reduced interest rates on loans among other benefits.

ToroDev Staff acquire more skills in ICTs

ToroDev Staff Baguma Johnstone (Executive Director) and Solomon Akugizibwe (Media & Communications Officer) attended the web 2.0 learning opportunity at Makerere University, organised by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation EU-ACP (CTA) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Uganda.

Solomon Akugizibwe (Left) and Johnstone Baguma (right)

During the 5 days training (Monday 18 - Friday 22 July 2011), we were introduced to selected web 2.0 applications and learn’t how to use them hands-on in our everyday work.

The Learning Opportunity covered advanced online searching, getting information served via alerts and RSS, collaborating remotely using wikis and Google Docs, using VoIP, online mapping and social networking. Participants got a chance to see what others have done, get hands-on experience on how to use innovative applications, and assess how they could adopt these innovations within the context of their work and organisation.

These Learning Opportunities form part of CTA initiatives that support development partners in networking, accessing and disseminating information more effectively.

How we will use the knowledge acquired

ToroDev is currently implementing a project titled “Rural FM Radio Broadcasting for Entrepreneurship Development in Rwenzori Region – Western Uganda.”

The project focuses on training small scale rural entrepreneurs (youth and women) and rural FM radio journalists in broadcasting for entrepreneurship development.

The web 2.0 skills acquired by ToroDev staff will be used to train rural FM radio journalists in entrepreneurship information access and broadcasting using web 2.0 tools. Some of the computer literate Small Scale rural entrepreneurs will also be trained to share and access information for entrepreneurship development using web 2.0 tools.