Jonah Lieberman and Alena Powell from the USA concluded their internship at Bush Radio. Watch what they had to say about being at the station and in Cape Town. Benjamin Fougeret and Alban Papin from France have joined the station recently and will be on air from Saturday.
Archive for the ‘Training (Foreign)’ Category
Saying good-bye and hello to Cape Town
09/03/2023Former BushRadio intern on 60Minutes
10/01/2022
One of Bush Radio’s former interns Micah Loewinger – was featured in a 60 Minutes special for his reporting.
Micah interned at Bush Radio in 2015.
The New York Times described 60 minutes as the “one of the most esteemed news magazines on American television”.
More about Bush Radio’s Foreign Internship Programme.
#TBT 17 years later
08/03/2018
Patrick Schmelzer (centre) with Brenda Leonard and Adrian Louw
We had a special visitor last week: 17 years after his internship at the station, Patrick Schmelzer came to spend some time at the Mother.
After doing his internship, he worked at Deutsche Welle and is now the Press and Public Affairs officer for the European Union’s Diplomatic Service based in Montenegro.
He is in Cape Town to participate in the Tour de Boland and the Cape Town Cycle Tour
Saying goodbye to Cape Town…a sum of parts
30/04/2014
Drew presenting a staff development session at Bush radio discussing his hometown
Recently our intern from the University of Connecticut, Andrew (Drew) Brathwaite returned to the United States after almost 4 months at the station. A requirement of every foreign intern at Bush Radio is that they host at least one hour of programming a week during their stay – sharing their interests and experiences with the broader Cape Town.
In Drew’s final programme he read a poem which he wrote about his Cape Town experience. We thought we would share it here.
Listen to a clip from Drew’s programme and him reading his poem – Click here
A Sum of Parts
This is the part where I get reflective and emotional, where I summon tidal waves of gratitude and mixed feelings of excitement and disappointment. This is the part where I talk about all the wonderful things I’ve learned and the fantastic people I’ve met, how my life has been irrevocably changed for the better, my mind expanded and open, my horizons broadened.
This is the part where I balance my experiences on a series of metaphors and wax poetic about having taken advantage of once in a lifetime opportunities.
This is the part where I use words like “unforgettable”, “profound”, “extraordinary”, “amazing”, “incredible”, the part where I spout superlatives like “Best”, “Kindest”, “Nicest”, “Sweetest”, “Craziest”, “Saddest”, “Strangest”, “Oldest”. This is the part where I make note of important life lessons I’ve learned and committed to preserving in my heart.
This is the part where I assure you that I am DEFINITELY coming back. Here is a picture of me at a moment of spectacular bliss.
Here is a picture of me walking, running, hiking, climbing.
Here is a picture of me thoughtful, pensive, attentive, deliberate, focused.
Here is a picture of me with some delightful children.
This is the part where I tell you that there’s no way I can summarize Cape Town in a single post. This is the part where I proceed to summarize Cape Town in a single post. This the part where I highlight my firsts and lasts, my highs and lows, and my sadness at the thought of leaving.
This is the part where I tell you “There’s no place like Cape Town”.
Related:
South Africa Field Lab: Bush Radio and Cape Times
19/11/2013
Bush Radio played host to students from the Semester at Sea study abroad programme recently. The students came to check out the work of station. Here is an article about their visit to Bush Radio (click here)
Learning and License
24/10/2013It’s been a busy couple of weeks at Bush Radio.
We handed out Matric study packs to learners at Modderdam and Glendale High in partnership with Van Schaik Books, helped plan a careers day at St Agnes Primary in Woodstock, as well as hosted station and programme managers from various radio stations in southern Africa as part of our partnership on local radio with UNESCO.
All of this was made worth it by the announcement by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) that we have been granted a renewal on our broadcast license until October 2018!
Stationery Handovers
Bush Radio’s, Lusanda Bill hand over the stationery to Modderdam High Principal, Mr Snyers
Principal of Modderdam High, Mr Snyers said the timing of the stationery is perfect because this time of the year learners need all the support they can get. Principal Achmat Chotia of Glendale High said he was delighted and inspired by the donation made by Bush Radio and Van Schaik Bookstore to the matrics. “With all the support that the learners are getting from the community is an indication to the learners that they must know that there are people who care and wish they succeed” Chotia added.
Marketing Manager of Van Schaik Bookstore, Margaret Vyver-Rambau said they started this project after they realised that stationery is very important to a learner, especially during exams.
Excited Glendale High matrics await their stationery packs
Vyver-Rambau added that it is important to work with the media in playing a part in encouraging children to study further as they are the future leaders.
Brand Manager, Melanie Foxcroft said to be involved in projects such as these are very important as Van Schaik believes in furthering education especially for young people.
St Agnes Primary careers day 2013
Each year St Agnes Primary School in Woodstock hold a career day where teachers hope to get learners to start thinking about career choices. As part of the day they get speakers from various fields to chat to the learners to help inspire and give them advice. Learners are encouraged to dress up to represent their chosen career and the teachers at the school get to put on school uniforms.
Left to Right: Wayne Mckay, Nathan Adams + Bhavna Singh join the careers day event
Bush Radio was asked if we could arrange a couple of guest speakers for the event and we called upon some of our volunteers and contacts to come help out. The children were thoroughly entertained, and inspired by Bhavna Singh (former Breakfast Rush team member and currently an ETV news anchor), Wayne Mckay (comedian, mc and presenter of Laid Back), Nathan Adams (The Daily Voice entertainment editor) and Yazeed Kamaldien (freelance photographer and journalist)
Nathan Adams chatting with the learners
Financial Management training for Managers
Managers from the various radio stations
Bush Radio in partnership with the UNESCO hosted a Financial Management training course from the 14 – 18 October 2013. Station Managers and Programme Managers came from Namibia (Live FM, Ohangwena Community Radio, Base FM and !Ah FM), Lesotho (Mafeteng Community radio) and South Africa (Bush Radio, Jozi FM, Radio Riverside, Radio Atlantis and Valley FM). This course is part of a broader project called “Empowering Local Radio’s with ICT’s”
Democracy is not a spectator sport
22/01/2013
Goucher College’s Eric Singer speaking with a Bush Radio intern
Yesterday (21 January 2013) Bush Radio hosted students from Goucher College in the United States of America.
The group was accompanied by their Political Science and International Relations lecturer, Eric Singer.
The visit was part of the students’ three-week journey researching about South Africa’s history, political and social dynamics.
“This is our third week here; so far we have met with the media, activists, farm workers and street vendors to get a better understanding of the complexity of changes facing South Africa” Singer said.
The group found out how ethnicity, culture, class and gender are involved in society’s ability to solve the country’s social challenges.
“The students are aged between 19 and 23, most have never been outside of their home country, and were shocked that some of the problems they faced back home were the same in South Africa” Singer added.
Singer said that what they have learnt in South Africa was that creating change is not about drafting legislation or forking out money, it is about communities creating space for social development.
12th Media Kidocracy Konference kicks off
12/12/2012This is a repost of a story that appeared on Bushradio News
About 100 young delegates have gathered at Bush Radio’s 12th Media Kidocracy Konference (MKK) in Worcester.
This year’s theme is Youth Participation in Democracy, with sub-themes being Human Rights, Labour, Health, Arts and Culture, Gender, and Environment.
The opening address for the conference was presented by Bush Radio’s Managing Director, Brenda Leonard, where she gave an insight into the history of the conference and the outline of the days to follow.
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| MDDA CEO, Lumko Mtimde |
Media Development and Diversity Agency CEO Lumko Mtimde said the gathering such as MKK is important especially today since its International Human Rights Day. He urged delegates to know their rights that are in our constitution.
Mtimde added that MDDA saw it fit to partner with Bush Radio for MKK in order for the delegates to understand the importance of media so that as young people they can participate actively in our democracy.
MDDA CEO Lumko Mtimde encouraged the young delegates to use the next few days at the conference to learn as much as possible so that they can actively participate in their community.
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| Communications expert, Trevor Davids |
Advisor for Communications for the IEC Trevor Davids also gave some insight into how the election and registration process works.
Davids added that one person can make a difference because that one person can be the difference between a win or a lost for a party.
Busi Sikosana a former MKK and Children’s Radio Education Workshop (CREW) participant also shared her experience of being part of the , South Africa’s leading children and youth radio and media project, CREW founded in 1996.
Dutch journalism students visit the Mother
27/03/2012
Zane Ibrahim (centre) with Sive Msolo & Dennis Kofi (who helped with the tour) and the Dutch students
A group of enthusiastic Dutch journalism students from the Windesheim University in Zwolle visited the Bush Radio offices yesterday to learn more about the history and workings of Bush Radio.
Former Managing Director and current board member Zane Ibrahim gave an insightful talk about the challenges Bush Radio had to overcome. Ibrahim also spoke about the purpose of Bush Radio and the strong belief in the station being the voice of the community.
The visit included a tour around the offices, and the students were able to experience exactly what Bush Radio is all about. One of the students, Liza Voppen, said: “I would love to come and visit Bush Radio again during my stay in Cape Town, so that I can shadow one of the producers and see what it is they really do.”
Two of the students had a short interview during Sakhisizwe regarding their visit to Cape Town.
The students chatting with Zane
Another student Genna Bostelaar said, “ I didn’t know what to expect when we went to Bush Radio, but I very soon understood that this is more than just radio making. The things Bush Radio does for the community are great and I really think it’s for a good cause. It’s also interesting to see how they work and how the people that work here become part of Bush Radio. I think that a lot of Dutch journalism students would be very pleased to take an internship here.”
The students ended off the visit by chatting to Zane at the “big table*”, asking him various questions, including his availability for an interview regarding the history of Bush Radio and his life. They left the station with a clear idea as to what community radio and Bush Radio is about.
*The “Big Table” is an area at Bush Radio occupied by a large table where open discussion, frank debates and meetings are held.
Journey of learning about Fair Trade
23/09/2011
Lusanda Bill: YHUUU sis what are you doing here? Pic courtesy of Aarni Kuppamakki
As part of our partnership with the German national broadcaster – Deutsche Welle, Bush Radio had the opportunity to connect one of it’s trainees with an experienced radio and multi-media producer for the South African part of a large international co-production on Fair Trade. From the 22nd August to 9 September 2011, newsroom trainee, Lusanda Bill was selected to join Aarni Kuppamakki from Deutsche Welle in exploring what Fair Trade means in South Africa.
The completed productions are being distributed to all community radio stations in South Africa and can be downloaded via the links at the end of this post.
We asked Lusanda to document her experiences:
Being selected by Bush Radio to be part of a co-production on Fair Trade between Deutsche Welle was a great honour. I must say I had no idea why management chose me. My guess is they probably wanted to get rid of me for three weeks. *wink*
Fair Trade was a word that I did not use in my daily vocabulary. So when I was told that the topic was Fair Trade, my confused face popped up. My initial definition of Fair Trade was “fair trading between countries”, well in the three weeks that I was doing the production I found out how totally off the mark I was.
Lusanda out in the field - Pic courtesy of Aarni Kuppamakki http://bit.ly/nc0Wk2
I had some fears of doing the production and many questions: Would I match up to the standard of an international production? Would I understand the topic fully and be able to interpret it for Bush Radio listeners? And would I cope with the travelling and editing that would be involved?
My partner for this co-production from Deutsche Welle was Aarni Kuppamakki and we had been in contact via emails, sharing our ideas about the production. My job before he came was to set up as many interviews as possible beforehand. When Aarni and I finally met it was off to work from the first day. It was great to work with someone with so much passion and experience.
The best part of the whole production was the travelling – I loved what we called our “road trips”. We travelled to Stellenbosch, Citrusdal, Franschoek and Simons Town. The best experience was when Aarni and I went shark cage diving. Now shark cage diving is not a normal activity for most black people in South Africa.
A funny story that had everybody in stitches, even at the Bush Radio office, is when I arrived at boat, one of the crew, who has worked on the boat for six years, took one look at me and said – in the loudest voice possible – “YHUUU sis what are you doing here, you are the first black person I have seen here in a long time!”.
But you are probably still asking yourself when I will share the meaning of Fair Trade? Briefly, Fair Trade is when a premium is placed on a commodity like wine, bananas, fruit, tea and coffee. In South Africa it’s mostly wine that is Fair Trade, so for a bottle of Fair Trade wine 50 to 60 cents of the total cost would be the premium.
Lusanda and Aarni present their final productions to Bush Radio MD, Brenda Leonard and Marco Schmitt of the German Consulate
On average a bottle of Fair Trade wine costs R39.99. The premium goes to a separate bank account and is managed by the Joint Body of elected worker representatives and farm management. The premium cannot be paid out in cash, so in most cases it is used to improve the lives of farmworkers.
Let me share some interesting facts about Fair Trade: The joint bodies of Fair Trade certified farms received a total of R10,4-million in Fair Trade premiums in 2010 and most of it was used on education. South Africa is the only country that has Fair Trade Tourism. Fair Trade farms are audited annually which normally costs between R15 000 to R20 000, depending on the size of the farm.
Overall the whole experience was amazing and a great learning curve. I am a better journalist and a happier one after conquering one of my fears, sharks.
To listen to the three features produced by Bush Radio and Deutsche Welle click below to download:
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