Radio technology is one of the oldest electronic communications tools, and it is as relevant today as it was a century ago. When it comes to rural development, the use of radio communications and other digital tools can significantly lower barriers for information flow.
The Fish for Food Security (F4F) project in Zambia – implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – has found innovative ways to include digital tools in education and training on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
Radio shows in the Luapula- and Eastern Provinces are used to reach the remote and widely distributed target groups, consisting of fishers, dam-management committees, fish marketers and aquaculture farmers.
Phillip Nsama Katandula, a fish farmer in Mansa, first learned about the F4F Project’s training through radio. He expressed that
the F4F radio programme has been of great help to our community. Initially, we were just four individuals, one woman and three men, who were doing fish farming in this Chitamba community. Since we formed the radio listening group to listen to training from the F4F radio show, 28 more community members have adopted fish farming
The group, now consisting of 12 women and 20 men, has further received pond-side training and was formally registered as the Chishibilo Fish Farmers Cooperative.
Experts from around Zambia contributed to the show, teaching on topics including fisheries, aquaculture, health, business and nutrition. Modern solar-powered radios that could be pre-loaded with episodes via their digital memory cards, were distributed to the Chishibilo Fish Farmers Cooperative and other radio-listening groups.
Throughout the F4F project journey, critical insights and lessons learnt were gathered.
- Foremost is the role played by traditional leaders in the effective implementation of project initiatives. Their involvement provided vital cultural and community support, which has proven indispensable.
- Capacity building among community members emerged as a fundamental tool in bringing about the desired social and behavioral changes critical for effective fisheries management.
- Simultaneously, in the project’s endeavor to empower communities as agents of change, discovered was the importance of repetitive sensitization efforts.
- Lastly, the recognition of committees as legal entities is pivotal for their full functionality as this not only provides a solid foundation for their operations but also solidifies their status as legitimate representatives of the community.The short YouTube Series fives detailed insights into the project:
GIZ Zambia – World Fisheries Day Commemorations 2022
GIZ Zambia – Sustainable Aquaculture in Action: GIZ at AFRAQ 2023
GIZ Zambia – Sustainable Fisheries Management component phase-out- Fish for Food Security Project
Author: Lukas Novaes Tump
The Global Programme “Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture” is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The aim of the programme is to increase the fish supply from sustainable and resource-friendly fisheries and aquaculture to boost healthy and diverse nutrition in Cambodia, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Uganda, and Zambia. Sustainable production and processing techniques are promoted along the value chain to create jobs and income, with a special focus on.........
