Kambale Kartasi Samson first discovered his love for broadcasting through public speaking competitions in high school. Later trained in nutrition, Mr. Samson combined his two loves into a career in radio. He has worked as a journalist and reporter at Radio Communautaire Amani CENED, in DRC, for six years and his goal is to help local farmers reduce poverty. His greatest strengths as a broadcaster are his motivation, training, and intellectual abilities.
Listeners tell Mr. Samson they face many challenges, but that the most important is soil infertility. A recent scientific study showed that local soils are degraded from chemical inputs and overproduction of eucalyptus trees.
To address these issues, Mr. Samson broadcasts a farmer program called Namna gani ku dumisha mlimo (How do you maintain a relationship?), that teaches farmers the practices and advantages of agroecology. The aim of the program is to help farmers replenish the soil using natural fertilizers and environmentally-friendly techniques such as agroforestry.
Mr. Samson also works on a farmers’ program called Sitawisha ufugo wa sungura (Cultivate rabbit breeding). The show aims to help farmers improve their rabbit production, as well as teach methods of adding value to rabbit meat and by-products. He also runs an environmental program called Tulinde mazingira yetu kuwa safi (Let’s keep our environment clean) and a nutrition program called Malisho bora kwaajili ya afya nzur (The best food for good health).
Thanks to Mr. Samson’s programs, and with support from local NGOs, farmers in the region are taking up agroecological practices and benefiting from test fields. A 60-year-old woman who listens to both his farmer programs now raises rabbits, hens, and guinea pigs, and uses their waste as organic fertilizer. She has also replaced her eucalyptus trees with trees that are less harmful to the soil.
Listeners tell Mr. Samson that they especially enjoy the interview segments of his programs. Mr. Samson includes farmers’ voices in his programs through vox pops, interviews, call-ins, and by reading their messages on air. To keep the programs interesting, Mr. Samson uses music related to the topics of the program as well as spots and jingles.
In partnership with FRI, Mr. Samson produced the VACS campaign on Radio Communautaire Amani. He says that FRI radio resources are enriching and he regularly uses them in his programs. He has also participated in online training and WhatsApp discussions.
Mr. Samson was a runner up for the George Atkins Communication Award in 2023.