Hello and thanks for visiting the Community Media 4 Kenya 2022/23 page. CM4K is raising funds to build a community radio station in Cham gi Wadu a marginalised rural community in the heart of the Nyanza region of Kenya.

CM4K was approached by a collective of subsistence farmers and community groups from Cham gi Wadu requesting our help: 1) to build a community radio station; and 2) to train local people to operate and sustain the radio station as a community resource.

Radio in this community provides an essential lifeline to people in remote communities. It provides a cost-effective means of communication for rural people and is the technology most commonly found in Kenyan homes. Radio provides access to essential information to marginalised peoples in rural Kenya. In semi-arid areas, cattle herders can often be seen roaming the dry landscape with their cattle and portable radios held in their hands. Elderly men at homesteads sit in the sun in the morning with portable radios placed on a small table next to their seats. Fishermen row their boats along the shores of Lake Victoria listening to radio for news or music. This is the lived culture of the rural communities in Kenya and underlines the significance of CM4Ks collaboration with the community of Cham gi Wadu.

Whilst this focus appears to suggest that radio is a technology of men this is a social phenomenon that is changing. Well over 50% of the collective from Cham gi wadu (which in the Dholuo language means share with your neighbour) are women, and in many groups, it is women pushing community development. This suggests that both men and women view the use of radio as an important tool for social change among community members.

We are raising money for this much needed community resource through the University of Brightons charitable status granted by the Charity Commission. We have set ourselves the target of raising £2000 this year. You'll see our team fundraising target on the right. Your donation can really help us smash this goal

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never share them with anyone or send you unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. They'll make sure Gift Aid (an additional 25% at no extra cost to you) is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer, too. That means more money goes to the charity, faster, with JustGiving.