UNESCO-WFP seminar ends in Brazzaville
On 20 December 2025, Communications and Media Minister Thierry Moungalla convened journalists, UN officials and ministry staff at the Elbo Suite Hotel, Brazzaville, to close a five-day capacity-building seminar on food security, nutrition and sexual health aimed at local radio stations.
The programme, designed by UNESCO in partnership with the World Food Programme, gathered 35 reporters from six departments: Bouenza, Brazzaville, Lékoumou, Plateaux, Cuvette and Likouala, underscoring a commitment to balanced regional coverage across the Republic of Congo.
Officials described the initiative as part of a broader project on literacy, health and nutrition financed by the WFP, positioning community broadcasters as trusted conduits for evidence-based information that supports individual well-being and drives national development goals.
Inside the five-day newsroom laboratory
During workshops led by subject experts, participants examined links between diet diversity, micronutrient intake and disease prevention, then debated how to package these concepts for audiences that rely primarily on oral communication and local dialects.
Practical sessions simulated field reporting in markets and health centres, coaching reporters to collect sound bites, interpret statistics and verify claims from vendors, consumers and frontline medical staff, while respecting ethical standards and editorial independence.
A segment on data journalism introduced free software that visualises household food budgets, enabling reporters to transform dense survey tables from the Ministry of Agriculture into colourful infographics they can describe on air, reinforcing messages with numbers listeners can repeat at the market.
Trainers also addressed sexual health, clarifying misconceptions around HIV transmission and reproductive rights, and proposed interview scripts that encourage sensitive yet accurate coverage, especially for youth audiences increasingly exposed to conflicting digital content.
Radio remains king of proximity communication
In his closing remarks, Minister Moungalla reminded attendees that radio reaches remote villages unreachable by fibre or 4G, making it indispensable for inclusive dialogue and disaster alerts as well as daily educational programming.
“Digital platforms are expanding, yet transistor sets still accompany farmers in the fields,” he said, urging broadcasters to blend legacy reliability with modern fact-checking to fortify public trust across generational lines.
The ministry pledged to explore additional technical assistance, including signal upgrades and content syndication, so that rural listeners receive consistent, high-quality health messages whether they tune in from Zanaga’s hillsides or the Sangha River’s banks.
Seasoned producers from Radio Congo shared case studies showing spikes in listener interaction when programmes blend storytelling with advice, such as a recent series following a pregnant farmer whose adoption of iron-rich beans reduced fatigue and boosted yields.
Journalists commit to ethical public service
Speaking on behalf of trainees, Ghislain Ayina thanked organisers for demystifying nutritional science and equipping reporters with concrete interview techniques, adding that the cohort intends to form a peer network to exchange scripts and troubleshoot reporting challenges after returning to their home stations.
Participants signed a voluntary charter pledging to verify sources, avoid sensationalism and prioritise vulnerable groups, reflecting a growing recognition that responsible journalism can influence household cooking habits as much as government policy.
Each reporter received a certificate bearing the logos of UNESCO, WFP and the communication ministry, a symbolic yet tangible reminder of expectations to translate training into regular programming slots, listener call-ins and community debates.
UNESCO and WFP expand health literacy agenda
Resident UNESCO representative Fatoumata Barry Marega framed the seminar as a building block in the agency’s literacy and lifelong learning strategy, which emphasises that informed citizens make healthier choices, reduce healthcare costs and strengthen social cohesion.
WFP deputy representative noted that malnutrition persists in pockets of the north despite national gains, and radio can bridge information gaps faster than printed brochures, particularly during seasonal floods that hamper road deliveries of awareness materials.
According to both agencies, future modules may cover climate-smart agriculture and adolescent mental health, subject to funding availability, to ensure broadcasters keep pace with evolving community priorities without losing the trust capital painstakingly built over decades.
UNESCO officials indicated they are cataloguing local success stories for possible syndication across Central Africa, arguing that a peer-to-peer exchange of audio spots could accelerate the sub-region’s progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2 on zero hunger.
Toward a nationwide network of community voices
Marega sees the diversity of attendees—from urban Brazzaville talk shows to Likouala forest outposts—as the seed of a national alliance capable of sharing jingles, storyboards and audience data at minimal cost while preserving each station’s editorial identity.
The ministry signalled openness to facilitating spectrum management discussions so that community outlets can extend reach without interfering with commercial broadcasters, a move observers say could unlock new advertising and sponsorship revenue for health programming.
For now, the freshly trained reporters return home carrying portable recorders, updated style guides and a shared conviction that clear, accurate audio can nudge households toward fortified flour, prenatal check-ups and respectful conversations about sexuality—one broadcast at a time.