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ZOMBA, Malawi — Yoneco FM, the first youth-focused radio station in Malawi, is allowing children to step behind the microphone to speak and be heard. The station, also known as YFM, was launched in 2014 as a flagship project of a local NGO, the Youth Network and Counselling Organization (Yoneco). Its journalism mentorship program selects children aged nine to 17 from various communities surrounding its head office in Zomba District in southern Malawi.
“We are training and mentoring children as presenters and journalists to give them a platform to voice their concerns and actively participate in development activities,” says Alinafe Nyasulu, a coordinator for children’s programs at Yoneco FM. Nyasulu says the initiative invites children for auditions to demonstrate their communication skills. She says successful ones undergo an intensive three-month training program covering the fundamentals of journalism and radio presentation. After completing the course, participants begin producing and presenting children’s radio programs with minimal supervision.
“We work with the children until they turn 18. After that, they graduate to produce and present youth programs,” Nyasulu explains. “Legally, after 18, they are no longer children, so we transition them to a new stage.”
Positive changes
Beyond technical skills like scriptwriting and audio equipment use, the program teaches critical thinking, effective research and communication skills. Fourteen-year-old trainee Charice Kambalame says the program has helped her grow in confidence. “The training has helped me interact better with people. I feel great talking to various audiences, entertaining them and understanding their views. I’ve learned how to present news and engage with others meaningfully. We’re taught how to be flexible, support one another and communicate effectively,” she says.
Her mother, Eunice Sulamoyo Kambalame, also says she has noticed positive changes. “It has really shaped her. Her interaction with friends has improved, and she works harder in school than before. Most importantly, this program gives her hope for the future by equipping her with valuable skills,” she says.
Yoneco’s Executive Director MacBain Mkandawire told RedTech that the organization believes that instilling journalism skills in children can help restore dignity to the profession in Malawi. “You see, when people in Malawi talk about journalists, they often say they’re beggars or liars — there are many negative perceptions,” he says. “We want to change that by exposing young people early to the true value of journalism.”
Mkandawire’s remarks echo a 2022 report published on the Media Institute of Southern Africa website, highlighting a crisis of credibility and trust in journalism across southern Africa. Titled “Crisis of Credibility: Trust in Journalism Practice,” the report mentions sensationalism, publishing unverified information and biased reporting as key factors eroding public trust in journalists. “Public trust in media institutions has declined, with journalists now less trusted than politicians. This erosion of trust fuels the perception of journalists as liars,” the report says.
Shaping career paths
Despite these challenges, Mkandawire says Yoneco FM’s mentorship initiative is already showing results. “We now have three or four former child presenters who’ve gone on to pursue journalism degrees and graduate,” Mkandawire says. Kezziah Phiri, 20, is among them. She joined Yoneco FM at the age of nine, but in April of this year, she graduated with a journalism degree from Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences.
“The journalism mentorship at Yoneco FM really helped me shape my career path. A lot of what I was studying at the university, I had already experienced at Yoneco. That early exposure made adapting easier,” she says. “I love print, radio and TV. I would love to pursue it fully. But the challenge is that nowadays there are limited jobs in traditional journalism, and there’s pressure to move into PR and communications. Still, if the opportunity came, I’d go for a traditional journalism job.”
Mkandawire says one major challenge facing the mentorship program is the lack of journalism literature and library resources. Instead, learners rely on Yoneco’s experienced staff for practical, hands-on training. However, the station also partners with journalism institutions like Mubas and the Malawi Institute of Journalism to support knowledge-sharing. “We have a memorandum of understanding with universities. They send students to us for internships, especially those who want to learn practical skills like photojournalism, which they don’t always get in class,” Mkandawire explains.
Yoneco fully funds the mentorship program. While there are no formal stipends, the organization provides studio space, airtime, training materials and mentorship. Families contribute their time and support, and many do so with pride.
The power of children’s voices
Although the program currently trains around 15 children at a time, Mkandawire says its impact extends far beyond journalism. “Just today, a parent called and said, ‘I have a child studying psychology. I want her to be attached to your organization.’ When I said we don’t have funds to pay her, he replied, ‘I don’t want money. I want her to learn.’ That’s powerful,” says Mkandawire.
He hopes the model will be replicated in other districts. “Children have powerful voices. If we mentor and empower them, they can help shape the Malawi we all want.”
In a society where children are often told to be seen and not heard, Yoneco FM’s mentorship program is changing the narrative. By stepping behind microphones children are not only shaping radio shows but also their future.
The author reports on the industry from Blantyre, Malawi.
This story originally appeared in the July/August 2025 edition of RedTech Magazine.
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