admin | January 14, 2026
At Kati Radio in Zanzibar, presenters Mina Mohamed and Hassan Vuai Saburi start their mornings with a simple goal: to help communities protect coastal environments.
Mrs. Mohamed says, “I start with the fishermen, the mothers, and the youth—because that’s who the ocean belongs to.”
Across Tanzania, community radios have become lifelines. In the mangrove-choked Rufiji Delta, locals like Fakil Msumi tune in daily.
Mr. Msumi says, “When I hear the radio announce strong winds, I tell my people to wait. I know the tide will rise.”
Mr. Msumi, a local fisherman, first learned from the radio how mangroves protect homes from storms. After floods swept through villages in 2024, he joined neighbors to replant the Indian Ocean coastline. Today, he rarely misses Bahari Yetu, Maisha Yetu—Our Sea, Our Life.
Mrs. Mohamed says, “Radio doesn’t just tell stories. It stirs action.”
Presenters like Evalilian Massawe from TBC FM turn climate science into practical knowledge. She simplifies complex topics for rural listeners, explaining how cutting trees or cooking with charcoal can affect the weather, and showing families how to adapt.
Mrs. Massawe says, “Sometimes sound tells the story better than statistics. The crunch of soil, the hiss of waves—people understand through what they hear.”
Radio storytelling inspires real change. Farmers shift to drought-tolerant crops, women adopt rainwater harvesting, and youth volunteer to plant trees. In Zanzibar, Hussein Kombo, a fisherman who once cut mangroves to build boats, now leads a group that has planted over 10,000 seedlings.
Mr. Kombo says, “Before, we cut mangroves to build boats. When I heard how they protect us from floods, I was ashamed.”
Even during extreme weather, community radio delivers life-saving warnings. During the 2024 floods, early broadcasts helped farmers harvest early and herders move livestock before rivers overflowed.
But running these stations isn’t easy. Many operate with limited funding, unreliable electricity, or old equipment. Broadcasters rely on creativity, mobile phones, and solar radios to reach listeners.
Mrs. Massawe says, “Climate journalism is expensive. But we do it because these are the stories that matter.”
For experts like John Mbise at the Tanzania Meteorological Agency, community radio is essential.
Mr. Mbise says, “People may not have smartphones or the internet, but they always have a radio. When forecasts are delivered in the local language, communities act fast and save lives.”
Back in Rufiji, as the tide recedes, Mr. Msumi tunes in again.
Mr. Msumi says, “I used to think climate change was a problem for scientists. Now I know it’s my problem too.”
For presenters like Mrs. Mohamed and Massawe, these small victories show the power of voice, sound, and storytelling in building resilient communities.
This story is based on an article written by Kizito Makoye for Interpress News Service, titled “How Community Radio Is Powering Tanzania’s Climate Resilience” To read the full story, go to: https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/12/how-community-radio-is-powering-tanzanias-climate-resilience/
Photo : Amina Mohamed and Hassan Vuai Saburi, community radio presenters for Kati Radio station in Zanzibar, present a morning program to enlighten communities on the importance of protecting coastal environments. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPS