On July 29th, Power for All Zimbabwe held an editor's training workshop to showcase the impact of decentralized renewables on homes and businesses, and provide knowledge about the local and global industry. Chiedza Mazaiwana, our in-country Campaign Manager, addressed 10 Senior Editors and Producers from various media outlets in Zimbabwe.
The meeting revealed a gap in awareness by the media about the advances in distributed renewable energy technologies and business models, as well as the different opportunities and challenges faced within the market. Given Zimbabwe’s national electrification rate of only 41.5%—and only 19% in rural areas—addressing this lack of media knowledge on rapid decentralized solutions is critical. To assist them in producing interesting and timely media content, participants requested that Power for All provide them with regular and informative updates on the sector and its impact.
Media Momentum
The high interest in distributed renewable technologies and solutions to the issue of energy access also led to immediate media opportunities, with the Power for All campaign profiled on the headline news of Zimbabwe’s leading radio station, Star FM on 29 July, and with Chiedza Mazaiwana featured as a guest on ZTV lunchtime news on 1 August.
The Current Affairs Editor of Star FM also expressed an interest in revitalizing a weekly energy program to feature discussions on access to renewable energy, while conversations around a decentralized renewables related documentary were initiated by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.
We look forward to working further with all the attendees of the editor’s training and would like to extend our thanks to those who joined the session. In addition, we would like to thank ZERO Regional Organisation for pulling the workshop together, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development for their continued support, and Eng. Oswell Chakwanda for sharing his knowledge and experience in the sector.