The Grow Up Plan — The Birds and the Bees, the Banks and the Bonds; Now on Radio!

Madhav Prakash broadcasting from Tafelsig on the Cape Flats

Introducing a brand new show for the youth, by the youth, about sex, money, muscles and everything else that matters. 

In the vast expanse of Cape Town’s townships, where hope and despair dance on a razor’s edge, a generation finds itself teetering precariously on the threshold of adulthood. Behind the vibrant façade of the Mother City lies a somber reality, particularly on the Cape Flats. Here, the youth face a web of challenges that threaten to entrap them before they even have a chance to spread their wings. Single parenting, gang violence, poverty, and a scarcity of opportunities converge, casting an ominous shadow over the dreams and aspirations of Cape Town’s future. It is a treacherous landscape where the road to maturity is paved with hardship, making the transition from vulnerable adolescent to empowered adult a feat as daunting as any they may encounter.

In investigating the needs of Capetonian youth, our programming intern, Madhav, identified a unique opportunity to engage with Bush’s younger audiences. Drawing from his own experiences maturing in a single-parent household in India and navigating finances, health, sex, relationships, and family on his own, Madhav conceived The Grow Up Plan. In each of its 55-minute episodes Madhav learns about classic coming-of-age struggles and insights buttressing a different aspect of adulthood. He describes the show as one on adulting — the art of being a grown-up.

Designed with the belief that young people are most willing to pay attention to other young people, most of Madhav’s expert guests are young entrepreneurs, teenage founders of NPOs, activists, and friends. Ending every show with an exciting ‘Ask an Auntie’ segment, where the perspective of an older and wiser citizen of the world dots the Is and crosses the Ts, makes for a show that is well-rounded, young, and wise. The 55 minutes is equal parts banter, learning, and relevantly named pop music, and the first 4 episodes are available for listening on Madhav’s YouTube channel, linked to this article. 

Episode 1: Love, Sex, and Bedrog

Join Madhav as he learns about all things sex from people who look like they’ve actually been in love before. Thaina Theodoro, Founder of Sem Medo, an NPO that partners with schools to further sex education teaches us the basics of safe and pleasurable sex. Kurt Godinez, all the way from the Philippines, speaks of his own experiences with loving. Dr Priya Puri, clinical psychologist, discusses the primary concerns that young people today have in their relationships and about sex. Sex therapist and India’s Aunty Gunjan Sharma answers all the questions that you were too afraid to ask your mothers. 

Episode 2: Gymbros, Koeksisters, and Geriatric Health Issues caused by Excessive Gatsby Consumption

Episode 3: YOUNGDUMB&BROKE

Episode 4: Babies in Diapers and Grandmas in Dentures

About Madhav: Madhav Prakash is a 19-year-old student from New Delhi, India. An incoming freshman at Stanford University in the USA, Madhav has been a part of the programming team at Bush Radio since March. At Bush, he produces for and co-presents SakhiSizwe, weekdays from 12:00 till 14:00, hosts The Grow Up Plan, Saturdays at 15:00, and is working on a number of side projects with the goal of revitalising the community media space in Cape Town. You can find him on Instagram, or through his webpage at madhavprakash.com.

@bushradio895fm

People’s names are important, and getting it correct is especially important to us. But it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. New intern Madhav Prakash takes us through pronouncing theirs. #hindi #aroundtheoffice #BushRadio

♬ original sound – BushRadio

What should we do with the art of monstrous men?

Listen to a highly condensed version of the discussion on 23rd October at the Masambe Theatre. Recorded and edited by Nigel Vermaas and aired on Bush Radio’s Sakhisizwe arts edition.

On 23 October the South African Cultural Policy Network held a Public Forum at the Masambe Theatre, Baxter. What should we do with the art of monstrous men? There has been much international debate about the “monstrous men” in art, movies, television, and music in the age of #MeToo movement.

The South African arts industry has its own ‘monstrous men’.

Artist Zwelethu Mthethwa is serving eighteen years in jail for murdering sex worker, Nokupila Kumalo; Mbongeni Ngema faces a number of allegations of sexual harassment. And Welcome Msomi has recently been found guilty of having stolen R8m from the Living Legends fund.

Should we separate the art from the artist?

Should Sarafina and other works by Ngema – and Ngema himself –be banned from our theatres? And what about our Rolling Stones albums, Woody Allen DVDS? Etc etc.

A panel consisting of poet & cultural activist Malika Ndlovu, Stellenbosch university transformation officer Babalwa Gusha and gender activist & academic Amanda Gouws grappled with this complex topic. The forum was facilitated by another Stellenbosch University academic Ncebakazi Mnukwana. Tina Schouw also features in the audio.

Music, all of which is made by so-called monstrous men has been added, including Miles Davis, one of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century and also an abuser of women.

The actual forum lasted about 90 minutes so obviously there was a lot of important stuff that is not included.

Thanks to Mike van Graan and the SA Cultural Policy Network for keeping these conversations going.

The above text is taken from Nigel’s introduction of the recording.

Catch Nigel Vermaas every week with Connected to Jazz (Tuesdays 8pm) and during Sakhisizwe’s arts edition (Fridays from 12pm) via 89.5FM or www.bushradio.co.za

2000 killed in 6 months #crime #gbv #xenophobia #peacebuilding – what can we do?

Join us on Thursday, 12 September at 12pm on Sakhisizwe – Building the Nation – Bou die Nasie on Bush Radio 89.5FM / http://www.bushradio.co.za for a discussion with experts and community workers.

Be heard – SMS 32158 and Whatsapp 0618621065 now, or call the studio on 0214486266 on Thursday after 12pm.

Forty-seven people killed in one weekend. Two thousand people killed in the first half of this year.

These were just some of the statistics going around when the army was called in to help end gang violence on the Cape Flats.

Now they’re getting ready to leave, and it’s hard to measure how it helped.
Police Minister Bheki Cele says more than a thousand arrests, the Western Cape govt – using the mortuaries – says fewer people were killed, and the army calls the situation stable.

But how do we tackle decades of violence and its aftermath in three months?

It is time for long-term solutions for communities named as the most dangerous… Bishop Lavis, Mitchells Plain, Delft, Elsies River, Nyanga, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, Philippi, Kraaifontein and Manenberg.

allAfrica.com and Bush Radio want to know what the next steps are, how to build the peace that we need in our communities, especially as the impact of gang violence, and the raw emotions around violence against women and xenophobic attacks are sweeping South Africa.

Support the Bush Radio pledge drive

Shine on Bronwyn – RIP

We were very sorry to hear that Bronwyn van Graan passed away suddenly on Saturday, March 31. Bush Radio would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Bronwyn.

Bronwyn was part of Bush Radio for many years and participated in various projects at the station; from Alkemy (Alternative Learning Curriculum Mentoring Youth), radio drama projects, HIV HOP and the Bush Radio / Canada World Youth Exchange.

She also served as a host and producer for Sakhisizwe and was featured several times at the station for both her award-winning acting and social activism. Rest well Bronwyn.

Have you hugged your radio today?

13 February 2018 is World Radio Day – a day to celebrate radio as a medium: to improve international cooperation between broadcasters; and to encourage major networks and community radio alike to promote access to information, freedom of expression and gender equality over the airwaves.

Radio is the mass media reaching the widest audience in the world. It is also recognised as a powerful communication tool and a low cost medium

For more visit World Radio Day.

The 14th Media Kidocracy kicks off #MKK2014

This year the 14th Media Kidocracy (kid+democracy) Konfrence which runs from th 6th to the 10th October 2014, is taking place in a historic year for media in South Africa. Bush Radio is celebrating 21 years since its first illegal broadcast, and 19 years of legal broadcasting. The National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) is also celebrating 21 years of existence, Bush Radio played a pivotal role in the establishment of the NCRF.

As South Africans, we are celebrating 20 years of democracy, as a country we are slowly emerging from a violent apartheid past to a nation celebrating its freedom.

The theme for MKK2014 is “Celebrating 20 years of democracy: learning from the past and celebrating the future.”

One of the foundations of this democracy we have built is freedom of expression.

This right allows everyone, including youth, to express themselves, whether this is verbally, artistically, scientifically or in any other way. However, this right does not come without responsibilities and we need to look at how we use our hard fought for freedom.

Freedom of expression is entrenched in the Media Kidocracy Konfrence as it allows participants to express the issues they raise through their media productions.

Bush Radio would like to thank the support of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FESmediaAfrica), the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), the Children’s Movement, and Whale Coast FM.

* Several of Bush Radio’s programmes will be broadcasting live from the event, these are: The Breakfast Rush (6-9am), The Morning Cruise (9am – 12pm), Sakhisizwe (12 – 2pm) and Everyday People (4 – 7pm).

** MKK2014 takes places at Wortelgat situated on the blanks of the Kleinriver estuary so besides the intensive media programme and discussion sessions participants will also enjoy the picturesque fynbos as well as archery, abseiling, and hiking.

Check out previous MKK posts – CLICK HERE

Serving soup to our neighbours (Picture Gallery)

 

Serving soup to our neighbours

It’s cold, wet and windy this Mandela Day so Bush Radio 89.5FM and its magazine programme Sakhisizwe are taking over Woodstock!

Look out for our Bush Radio Madiba day volunteers roaming Victoria Road handing out soup and bread today.

We’ll be broadcasting live from the corner of Victoria Main Road and Hares Avenue, Woodstock between 12 -2pm. Feel free to pay us a visit and grab a bite! (First come first served)

Bush Radio and Sakhisizwe – Building the Nation, Bou die Nasie.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

Danielle (left) and Busi (right)

At the end of last month Bush Radio took leave of two its trainees at the station. This is in line with the station mission of preparing members of the community to engage with and/or work in media.

Danielle Buise who hosted and produced the Morning Cruise moves on to be part of an SABC radio station and Busisiwe Mtabane who histed and produced Sakhisizwe joins the Right2Know campaign as as communications co-ordinator.

We wish both Busi and Danielle well with their future endeavours.

Celebrate World Radio Day

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) has declared the 13th February as World Radio Day. As Africa’s oldest community radio station project we at Bush Radio fully support this intiative as we believe in the power of radio to help build communities and improve lives.

click here – LISTEN TO WHY PEOPLE LISTEN TO RADIO – click here

Whether it is through our Children’s Radio Education Workshop (CREW) launched in 1996 where young people learn to use the medium to develop their skills and understanding of media or one of our programmes like Sakhisizwe – Bou die Nation, Build the Nation or even our specialised music programmes like Blues in the Bush where we connect the music to its roots in Africa – radio plays a vital part in almost everyone’s daily life.

Through technology like internet streaming Bush Radio is able to connect to the entire planet with it’s audience not just from Cape Flats but with dedicated listeners in Asia, Europe and the Americas tuning into the station online through computers or mobile phones, Bush Radio truly is more than just FM radio.

Related: How to listen to us online