Olwyn Parkinson | December 17, 2021
Elijah Banda has been broadcasting for seven years, starting at Calvary Family Church Radio Station in Blantyre, southern Malawi, in 2014 as a volunteer. Now, he produces several programs and is the acting head of news and current affairs. But these aren’t the most important topics he addresses on the radio.
Mr. Banda is passionate about nutrition and spreading awareness and knowledge about how to consume a nutritious diet. He considers this to be an important issue that affects people not only in Malawi, but around the world. He was inspired by his sister, who was taking a course on nutrition, and she became a reliable resource for him.
Mr. Banda says that addressing malnutrition is essential because of the importance it plays in children’s development and everyone’s health. He emphasizes the importance of nutrition in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, and how malnourishment during this period can have severe consequences on the rest of their lives. He recalls being “stunned by how important it is to stress proper nutrition.” It was this that inspired him to create the program called “Food is wealth.”
On this program, he addresses the various barriers that inhibit people’s access to proper nutrition. This includes poverty and poor access to food. He says that, often “people purchase what they can afford and not what is most nutritious” for themselves and their family. He also discusses early pregnancies, and how these prevent young women from continuing their education, impacting their ability to gain employment. This becomes a vicious cycle, Mr. Banda says. When they are unable to get a job because of limited education, people consume a limited number of calories due to lack of income.
Another reason for malnutrition in Malawi is a lack of awareness about its importance. Nutritionists say that people need to consume a variety of foods in several food groups for a balanced diet. Carbohydrate-rich foods and vegetables are not enough unless they are accompanied by other foods, notes Mr. Banda.
Mr. Banda recently created an episode for Farm Radio’s “This is How I…” podcast about how he plans his program. He explains where to get information, how to research malnutrition, and important topics to cover. Listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/farmradio/this-is-how-i-plan-a-radio-program-on-malnutrition-elijah-banda?in=farmradio/sets/this-is-how-i-podcast
The “This is How I…” podcast is a new resource from Farm Radio that allows broadcasters to share their radio skills and to learn from each other. Mr. Banda says that this podcast is a “very helpful way to relate to other broadcasters’ content” and engage with new topics.
Mr. Banda says he has always wanted to “become someone and matter in society,” as well as make a difference. By spreading knowledge and awareness about nutrition, he is doing just that.
To listen to all the episodes of the “This is How I…” podcast, go to: https://soundcloud.com/farmradio/sets/this-is-how-i-podcast
To create your own episode, download our guide and signature tunes here: https://training.farmradio.fm/this-is-how-i-podcast/