Farm Radio International: Scripts and Voices Newsletter

Farm Radio International publishes and distributes radio script packages, accompanied by the Voices newsletter, to support rural radio broadcasters in sub-Saharan Africa. Each script package focuses on one or two different themes, i.e., soil fertility, climate change adaptation, livestock health, and includes a variety of formats (interview, drama, spots, etc.). For example, the December 2011 radio script package focused on participatory radio campaigns and agricultural co-operatives. The November 2007 package focused on rural women and girls. Scripts also include tips for broadcasters on presenting the information and adapting it for their own listening audience. The Voices newsletter is distributed to broadcasting partners with each package of radio scripts. It provides information and resources related to each package theme, includes broadcaster training articles, and offers a forum for partners to share experiences and lessons learned.

Farm Radio International provides one-on-one coaching and online training to support people working at radio organisations in researching and writing the radio scripts. Each script is also reviewed by a subject matter specialist - radio partners in sub-Saharan Africa adapt and translate the scripts to local conditions, and then broadcast the programmes to their listening audiences. These scripts are available on the Farm Radio International website and are sent out electronically.

Using feedback from broadcasters, and focusing on scripts that were particularly relevant to the regions where each language is spoken, Farm Radio International chose fifteen scripts to be translated into Hausa and Swahili. Some scripts are available in one of the languages and others in both language, depending on content and regional relevance.

Click here to download the radio scripts from the Farm Radio International website.
Click here to download the Swahili and Hausa scripts.
Click here to download the Voices newsletters from the Farm Radio International website.