Kathryn Burnham | January 9, 2017
When Micah Kamusiime talks about his work, he says his main goal is to provide Kaaro FM listeners with information about living “sensibly and progressively.” This includes sharing important information on health, business, family, and community—and he says Farm Radio’s Resource Packs makes this work easier.
Kaaro FM broadcasts from Lyantonde district, reaching all of Uganda’s Central Region.
The station has several farmer programs, including Entandikwa Magezi (Begging is Knowledge), Golokoka (Wake up, Go & Work), and Biruga Omututu (Sweat to Achieve). Mr. Kamusiime is a presenter on the Biruga Omututu program.
This program airs Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. He says the show is geared to listeners who are at work. It is an interactive show, hosting specialists from different fields of work, with a focus on agriculture, since most listeners work in that field.
Mr. Kamusiime says his program and his broadcasting skills have greatly improved since he started using Farm Radio International.
He says: “From the Farm Radio packages I receive (including scripts and stories) … I have been able to share the knowledge with local farmers…. This has made my show practical, developmental, and educative to the listeners I serve.”
Farm Radio’s resources have also helped him acquire knowledge and skills in agriculture as well as environmental protection. For example, he knows the impact of charcoal production and how to make banacharko (banana charcoal) to help reduce deforestation. This was the topic of a script called An Alternative Fuel Source: Make charcoal briquettes from banana peels.
He adds that the stories in Farm Radio’s Resource Packs and in Barza Wire allow him to share the experiences of successful farmers to inspire his listeners, so that they can adopt new practices which bring the best harvest, no matter the size of their farm.
Mr. Kamusiime was inspired to become a broadcaster because of the success of others he heard on air. He says he wanted to be like them, so he studied journalism in 2011 and later worked for Mercy FM in Mbarara. He has also worked for World FM in Bushenyi.
He says: “Most people wish to listen to you mostly if you are educative in your shows. [You get] respect from your listeners [and an] introduction to many different classes of people—politicians, farmers, religious leaders, among others.”
Mr. Kamusiime says it’s important to meet with his listeners so that he can understand their concerns—and see whether they have put into action the information he shares on air. He hears from his listeners through phone-in discussions and field visits.
Farm Radio International has also shared many Broadcaster how-to guides, which have helped Mr. Kamusiime integrate farmer voices into his program and create an effective call-in program.
He says: “I am very grateful and privileged that I found Farm Radio International and am part of changing the world—[introducing] mostly small-scale farmers to … new innovations that will help them use scarce resources to [their] benefit.”