Studio Hirondelle-RDC is a Fondation Hirondelle project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, operating since 2014. Via professional, committed media, it aims to help consolidate democracy in the country through better involvement of Congolese citizens, particularly women and young people.
Its programmes, broadcast in 5 languages (French, Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili), place people at the centre, providing them with reliable, independent information and getting their voices better heard through strengthened local media. Since September 2023, its work has focused primarily on governance and on various electoral processes.
Financial volume 2023
570,303 CHF
Sources of funding
- European Union
- Switzerland (SDC – Core contribution)
- Income generated
Key figures for 2023
28’000 followers on social media
35’400 website users
48 media professionals trained
124 radios and 23 TV partners
5 broadcast languages
22 hours of broadcasting
Context
The year 2023 was marked by presidential and legislative elections in DRC. Fighting ìnvolving the armed group M23 intensified in the east of the country, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to move and exacerbating community tensions. Against this backdrop, the Congolese media, already weakened by a lack of resources, were particularly exposed to the risk of being exploited, especially in the face of the growing challenges of misinformation on social networks in relation to issues of governance and peace.
Committed citizen media to strengthen democratic culture and fight misinformation
Studio Hirondelle-RDC continues to offer radio content while retaining its added value: short, impactful, balanced and relevant formats. The studio deals with post-democratic and electoral issues through debates and round tables with local citizens and political players. The team offers fact-checking content to decipher false information. Media literacy programmes are produced to support citizens in their critical consumption of different sources of information.
Studio Hirondelle RDC broadcast its programmes through its network of 124 community radio stations and 23 partner television stations throughout the country.
In 2023, the studio developed new digital formats for broadcasting on social networks, also for a younger audience, in particular on Tik Tok or Instagram. The Tik Tok channel grows significantly in 2024.
Studio Hirondelle-RDC is also working on developing its internal capacities. Capacity building targets both studio journalists and those from partner media. Topics covered include investigative techniques, fact-checking, data analysis, governance and citizen participation in public debate.
Our impact
In addition to its radio and web media productions, Studio Hirondelle-RDC is making a special effort to step up its presence on young people’s social networks (Tik Tok or Instagram). This is a way of reaching a different audience, increasing audience engagement and the reach of the content produced. It also represents a new development for Fondation Hirondelle.
Testimonial
”Even though I’m not old enough to vote, I’ve managed to understand the rationale behind elections and how they work. I’m way ahead of the students at my school.“
Eric Amboka, schoolboy listener to Radio Mwana in Mbandaka.
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Priorities
- Issues following the democratic and electoral process
- Fact-checking
- Media literacy
- Strengthening digital strategy
Activities
- Broadcasting 3.5 hours of programmes per week in 5 languages
- Training for journalists from the studio and partner media
- Monitoring misinformation and hate speech online and offline
Previous project in Democratic Republic of Congo
Fondation Hirondelle ran various projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including Radio Okapi, the radio station of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), between 2002 and 2014.
Since 2014, Fondation Hirondelle has focused its action in the DRC on information of general interest, targeting the two priority audiences of youth and women. This, in order to foster their civic engagement and a more inclusive public debate. Thus, between 2019 and 2020, Studio Hirondelle RDC implemented a program in the Kasai region, to support young people as peaceful leaders of change, when local populations had been victims of mass violence in 2016 and 2017.
Since January 2021, Studio Hirondelle RDC has been executing various projects and has resumed continuous production activities since September 2023.
Click here to see our previous project in Democratic Republic of Congo