Means of communication at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa is set to improve following the unveiling of Yetu Community Radio Station at the camp.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, Yetu (a Swahili name which means ours) is a first community radio station of its kind to be launched in a Refugee Camp in the Southern Africa Region.

In an interview with YFM, UNHCR Country Representative, Monique Ekoko said the launch of the radio station will help to keep listeners abreast of important news and happenings at the local and community level.

“This is something that we have been longing for a long time because the Refugee Camp was more like a jungle, they didn’t [refugees] any communication to the outside world and bringing the Yetu Radio has open the refugees to the world,” Ekoko said.

On his part a representative from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Samuel Malowa said the establishment of the radio station is a milestone towards dissemination of information at the Camp.

“With the coming in of this radio, the Ministry will be able to pass on relevant information to the refugees in the Camp, and the radio will also ease in communicating on various vital issues in the camp and the surroundings,” Malowa said.

The UNHCR Malawi in 2016 applied for a Community Radio License to the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to enable them to open a community radio station at the Camp.

However, the whole idea to introduce the radio started way back in 2013 by Ramazan Masumbuko who is currently based in Canada.

The radio will be airing programmes to do with education, agriculture, youth, and environment in different languages which include; Swahili, Chichewa and English.