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Since its birth in 1995 the setting on which Radio Kwizera was founded has always been characterized by a search, creation, defence and at the same time a promotion of a culture of peace between the refugees and the local Tanzanian community, the refugees and the local Tanzanian government, the refugees and the government in their country of origin and the refugees and humanitarian organizations that serve them. After all, the mission of Radio Kwizera, in line with the Jesuit Refugee Service that founded it is to “sow seeds of hope” (JRS mission statement).

Up until 1994 when the Rwandese influx of about half a million refugees fleeing a genocide in their country were camped in the district, it was not only hard to access Ngara district headquarter by public transport from whatever direction one travelled but even more revealing it was not indicated on the map of the country as it was a deeply remote part of the country. As well, over 500 000 people living in the district and its immediate surrounding did not have easy access to local and national news. Those who had radio sets had to tune to transnational radio stations, particularly BBC and DW which have a stronger and clearer AM signal, to know what was happening in their own country. Besides these two foreign stations, the people of Ngara relied on news from the neighbouring countries such as Rwanda and Burundi for news touching on their country.  

In 1995 Radio Kwizera (RK), an FM station, was established to inform the many settled refugees in the locality on important issues regarding their everyday life in the camps in addition to broadcasting news programs for the local Tanzanians. Thanks to high development in media technology, Radio Kwizera was the only regular link between the refugees and their governments back in Burundi and DRC and also the only source of information from the host government, Tanzania for the local Tanzanian listenership. Through a satellite link, a VSat, RK was (as it still does) able to monitor news from all over the world and supplement this with local news for its diverse audience. The station also publishes a bi-monthly news bulletin mainly with news stories from refugee camps touching on their needs and serious concerns that need to be addressed by either their host government, Tanzania, UNHCR – the body that is in charge of refugee protection – international and local NGOs or their home governments. This news bulletin is also sent electronically to relevant and interested international organizations.  

In the past year (2009) Radio Kwizera has extended its reach by constructing taller masts and by use of modern technology. Although Burundian refugees have virtually returned, there are several thousands of refugees from the DRC who are still camped in Kasulu District in the North Western part of Tanzania to whom RK renders a special service. Besides, the radio aims to continue serving the local Tanzanian communities in areas of development but also reach out to the entire Great Lakes Region with a sustained and well designed program in governance and peace-building.