RADIO KWIZERA -

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The word “Kwizera is a Kurundi or Kinyarwanda word for “hope.” It is a word taken by the radio to offer hope to refugees. These refugees mainly fled from Burundi, Rwanda, and Congo and settled in western parts of Tanzania in the regions of Kagera, Karagwe, and Tabora.

The Hutu militia: Perpetrators of 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
BBC World News: Wednesday, 7 April, 2004

In 1995, following the influx of refugees after the genocide in Rwanda and the civil wars in Burundi, Radio Kwizera (RK) continued to serve the refugee communities in these regions.

Given the different cultural backgrounds of many of these refugees with different languages backgrounds, the radio attempts to communicate in Kiswahili, Kirundi, English and French so as to reach out to those who might only speak oneof these languages.

Radio Kwizera as a community radio co-operates with UNCHR, World Food Programme (WFP), Tanganyika Chirstian Relief Service -TCRS, International Red Cross Committe - IRC, UNICEF, CONCERN, and the local authorities. This cooperation is useful because most of these NGO's all seem to have a common vision in providing protection and dignity to refugees.

From 2005, Radio Kwizera’s vision has been in the promotion of voluntary repatriation which is being effectively implemented. The radio disseminates this message as an implementing partnership to UNHCR.

These Burudian refugees fled the 1972 civil war in their country, and they have been living as refugees for 36 years. Recently, efforts from the UNHCR to voluntarily repatriate them is giving them hope.

Radio Kwizera keeps refugees informed of news through daily programs that are directly relevant to the existential issues. Thus, after thorough research strategies, the radio broadcasts views and opinions from refugees.

In 1996 when most of the refugees from Rwanda repatriated, Radio Kwizera continued to serve refugees from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as the host communities in Tanzania.

The goal of the radio is to promote peace and reconciliation within the countries of the Great Lakes Regions, and especially in Burundi and Rwanda. Given these countries have been wounded by the past-recent instabilities, ethnic hatred, and internal fights. It is crucial that formidable steps are considered to resolve any future occurence.

The Radio started broadcasting on the 12th of August 1995 to more than half a million Rwandese refugees hosted in North-Western Tanzania. When the Rwandese refugees were repatriated, the radio continued to operate like any other professional radio station; broadcasting 18 hours daily from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

In 2000, the Radio established a studio in Kibondo, about 200Km from the main station Ngara, and this station was meant to relay information to the majority of Burundian refugees in those regions. In 2006 the Radio also established another studio and booster in Kasulu, about 350km from the main station - Ngara, and this sub-station allows the broadcasting to reach even further to the Congolese camps of Nyarugusu and Lugufu and to the local communities.

The promotion of voluntary repatriation has provided an opportunity for RK staff to make periodical visits and to collect first hand information about the situation in Burundi. The Radio is more and more involved with refugees who are still in the camps in North Western Tanzania as well as the returnees and the local population of refugees host communities.

The Project Director Fr. Dammas Missanga sj; (3rd left), with Tanzanian Security Officials on their visit to Ngara Station.

RK still works from its base in Ngara covering most of the areas settled by Burundian and Rwandese returnees. Currently, in collaboration with UNHCR, the Radio provides information on registration, repatriation, resettlement and naturalization of the Burundian refugees who have been in the Camps of Mishamo, Katumba and Ulyankulu sicne 1972.

The exercise began in August 2007 under the Strengthening Protection Capacity Programme (SPCP), of which RK is an implementing partner on Mass Information (MI). Since many refugees are now repatriating to their countires of origin, the radio is not going to close down but probably change its focus on the local community many of these refugees with different languages backgrounds, radio attempts to communicate in various languages such as Kiswahili, Kirundi, English and French so as to reach out to those who might only speak one language.

Some of the Vehicles that are loaned for use to RK by UNHCR.

Radio Kwizera as a community radio co-operates with UNCHR, World Food Programme (WFP), Tanganyika Chirstian Relief Service -TCRS, International Red Cross Committe - IRC, UNICEF, CONCERN, and the local authorities. This cooperation is useful because most of these NGO's seem to have a common vision in providing protection and dignity to refugees.