Exploring in Southern Zambia
Amplifying Voices is embarking on a new community-centred media journey in Zambia. We are exploring opportunities with a new partner, Chibozu Community Trust as they pursue their goal to set up a community radio station in Simooya, Southern Zambia.
Milden and Catherine Choongo
We’d love to introduce you to Milden Choongo and his wife Catherine, the founders of Chibozu Community Trust. Together they passionately support community development work in Simooya and the surrounding villages. Milden grew up in Simooya. He went on to graduate in automotive engineering and eventually started up his own transport consultancy business in Zambia. During this time, Milden and Catherine also started the Chibozu Community Trust as a way to give back to their home communities. Milden named the trust after his late mother. Over the years, Chibozu Community Trust has supported the Simooya community to build a health clinic and a highly respected community school which has over 500 pupils.
Milden Choongo commissioning water supply at the community school, Simooya
Since moving to the UK with their 4 children in 2006, Milden and Catherine have continued to serve Simooya communities. They set up a UK office for Chibozu Community Trust and registered as a UK charity. Milden and Catherine keep close connections with Simooya, visiting twice a year where possible.
Catherine Choongo, commissioning drinking water supply, Simooya rural clinic.
Ongoing developments in Simooya
In recent years Chibozu Community Trust has has helped to bring reliable electricity and a mobile phone tower to the area. The school and clinic have clean water supplies thanks to new boreholes facilitated by Chibozu. The community is currently building a maternity wing to Simooya Rural Health Centre. Catherine holds a degree in General Nursing and Midwifery and has championed the maternity ward development. Her vision is for women in and around Simooya to be able to deliver their babies with dignity, avoiding maternity infections and preventing deaths in childbirth.
The new facilities in Simooya came about through community participation in all the decisions and activities, so that the developments truly reflected the hopes and concerns of local people. The school and the clinic are staffed by the government, but the community owns the facilities.
Despite this level of local participation, community leaders and the board of Chibozu realised that some people could still miss out on the opportunities offered by the developments. Some because they are not aware of what was available to them or their families. Others miss out because they don’t know how, why, or when they should make use of facilities like the health clinic. Some are too old to go to school, but would love to have learning opportunities. This could, for example, lead to more productive, more sustainable farming practices.
Simooya Rural Clinic
The board of Chibozu feel the time is now ripe for a community radio station. They want to ensure the benefits of development reach more people. They also want to bring people together in community conversations and to expand learning opportunities across the 12 villages around Simooya.
Radio in Southern Zambia
The nearest large towns to Simooya are Choma and Pemba. Simooya is in Pemba district and neighbours Choma district to the south. Choma is the provincial capital for Southern Zambia. Both Choma and Pemba are on the main road between Zambia’s capital, Lusaka and the tourist city of Livingstone, next to the Victoria Falls on the southern border. Although this road makes Simooya area quite accessible, the villages are still remote. The distance from Choma and Pemba means that the only radio service available is the national station broadcasting from Lusaka.
Amplifying Voices has been asked to support Chibozu Community Trust with the purchase of equipment and by visiting Simooya to provide community-centred media workshops. The workshops will train community volunteers and workers from local service providers. They will learn to make media content together and to operate a community FM station. Starting small and building up as people gain experience, the radio station would provide a mix of information, advice, entertainment, advocacy and learning together through community conversations. Initial goals are likely to include supporting the work of the new maternity unit and encouraging healthy conversations around the topic of HIV and AIDS. Programmes will also seek to improve livelihoods and food security among local farmers.
Milden also told us that many community stories are being lost. They have not been passed on to younger generations. He believes radio would help keep these community memories alive and contribute to a flourishing future.
What next?
There is a lot to do before the station can become operational. Chibozu needs to get a broadcasting license. We need to agree on and purchase equipment for the station. There will be more Ting-listening – community consultations to confirm what the community want to tackle in the radio programmes, and to identify the people with something to say. Of course the equipment then needs to be installed in a secure, sustainable and accessible location. We look forward to an intense period of working together with Milden, Catherine and the Chibozu Community Trust, and to seeing the Simooya community flourish.