Burundi has had a school radio since the beginning of the 1970th, but until Radio Scolaire NDERAGAKURA was established as an independent station, programs were broadcast a few hours a week through the national radio.

Burundi is a small country with about 6mill. inhabitants. Because of the internal conflict that has raged the country for several years homes and schools has been destroyed. Many of the inhabitant’s lives as internally displaced people or has been driven out of the country to refugee camps in the neighbouring country Tanzania.

Norwegian Refugee Council has with financial aid from NORAD and in cooperation with the Burundian Ministry of Education managed to establish a national school radio network. This makes it possible to broadcast more school-oriented programs per day at relevant hours for the listeners.

The basic idea is that a school radio can be accessible for people who have problems attending a normal school. And the radio can give a helping voice to the many teachers that today because of the war work under difficult conditions.

The Radio Scolaire NDERAGAKURA broadcast today 4 hours per day all days of the week. Programs are made especially for the teachers, the parents, and the pupils and then of course information of general interest for the public.

TGS 2001