admin | March 14, 2024
Victor Asumani serves as the programs manager and agricultural program producer at Umunthi FM in Nkhotakota Boma, Malawi, a role he has held since 2021. His journey into radio started in the early 2000s when he volunteered at Nkhotakota Community Radio Station, an FRI partner since 2007. Graduating in journalism in 2015, he has evolved into a well-known journalist and broadcaster who specializes in farmer programming.
Recently, Mr. Asumani received the George Atkins Communication Award, recognizing his commitment to serving rural communities and active membership in Farm Radio’s network.
His strength is working with communities, especially small-scale farmers. In recognition of his efforts to promote agricultural best practices, he received the prestigious Best Farm Radio Program award from Farm Radio Trust in 2022.
Currently, Mr. Asumani produces two farming programs: Tipindule ndi Ulimi (Let’s benefit from farming) and Ulimi okhazikika ndi chilengedwe (Climate-smart agriculture). The programs cover a host of topics, including mitigating and adapting to climate change, how to best market farm produce, how to make and use organic manure, best practices for irrigated farming, and using good quality seed.
Mr. Asumani learned that farmers in the audience face several challenges, including lack of good markets for their produce, and the scarcity and high cost of farm inputs. In response, his programs offer practical solutions, advocating for marketing clubs, co-operatives, and using cost-effective organic fertilizers.
He regularly receives feedback from listeners. They particularly appreciate it when the program features experts who explain how farmers can use modern farming technologies.
Mr. Asumani’s programs include farmers in a variety of ways: through interviews, vox pops, and outgoing phone calls. He also features local farmers’ own music, poems, and storytelling. He produces a live program at the end of every month, where listeners can phone in or contribute through WhatsApp, SMS, and Facebook. He also engages and entertains his audience by including dramas produced by local actors.
Mr. Asumani really appreciates the training courses he has done with FRI, and underlines the value of following the VOICES standards, which he keeps in mind whenever working with communities, as well as FRI’s emphasis on participatory programming.
Having completed e-courses and holding several learning certificates from FRI, he effectively uses the skills he’s learned as well as FRI’s information resources to craft engaging and informative programs.