From the 4th to 6th May 2011, Panos Institute Southern Africa partnered with Mkushi Community Radio station in conducting a knowledge and skills development training workshop for community members drawn from across the rural district.

The training workshop brought together 24 participants representing eight Radio Listening Clubs drawn from across the district as part of the organisation’s goal to empower poor communities to use communication to drive their development. in addition to the training, the participants also received radio sets and recorders. \Among other things, the workshop aimed to build the capacity of these members of the rural community to effectively use the radio-based information and communication platform to acquire knowledge and in turn engage in informed discourse with the government and other authorities on governance and development programmes and processes.  

The workshop was financially supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF). This was part of UNDEF’s on-going support for the Governance Through Radio (GTR) Project which covers four countries – Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho and South Africa. The project goal is to empower citizens of the target communities in Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa and Zambia to effectively engage with their local, district and national leaders and policy makers to participate and influence development and democratic processes. The project is within PSAf’s effort to bridge the gap between citizens and policy makers and forge partnerships in order to foster accountability and inclusivity in development and democratic processes through increasing awareness and knowledge around development and democratic processes and thus facilitating informed debate and engagement.

The workshop was officially opened by the District Commissioner, Mr. Musonda Chunga and closed by the Mkushi Radio Board Vice chairperson.

A UNDEF representative from the UNDP Zambia office, Ms. Maiko Shimizu, also attended the workshop as a milestone observer.
At the end of the workshop the clubs were presented with voice recorders for content recording and radio sets for radio programme listening as per schedule approved during the workshop and to be effected in the first week of June.