"For the Tonga people like me, there is something deeply biblical about the word MULONGA, yet it is a modern story too. One of massive but unshared technology. One of plentiful water but perpetual drought."
Dominic Muntanga
Season's Greetings and a Happy New Year 2024!
We wish all our friends, partners and funders a relaxed Festive Season and a peaceful and
prosperous New Year! We strongly appreciate your continous interest, collaboration and support,
Thank you!
Andy Kampamu, chairman of the ZongweFM board reports: We are done with the installation of the solar system at Zongwe FM. The project is aimed as backup up power in the absence of the main feeder Zesco.
Kayula Mulenga, who was acting as technical adviser for the local implementing agency Panos Institute Southern Africa in Lusaka confirmed: "The general status is that the solar system has been performing well in the last 5 days after installations, no technical faults on equipment from the time it was installed.
Radio Transfer - Communities in dialogue: A project in the context of the European Capital of Culture Bad Ischl/Salzkammergut 2024
The concert of the band Mokoomba from Zimbabwe on 24th June at the Old Sawmill Schoenau 8 in Scharnstein / AT is celebrating the building of a Radio Bridge North-South between the Alm and Zambezi rivers. The communication and exchange of stories between pupils at schools in Austria, Zambia and Zimbabwe has already started. It is organised by Radio B138 on the Austrian and Radio Zongwe FM on the Zambian side.
Zongwe FM is a Community Radio station of the Tonga people in Sinazongwe on the Northern shores of Lake Kariba how the dammed Zambezi is called. Since the radio station was set up in 2007, there has been an ongoing collaboration with some Free Radios in Austria, facilitated by Austria-Zimbabwe Friendship Association AZFA in Linz and its partners Kunzwana Trust in Harare and Panos Southern Africa in Lusaka.
Radio B138 is hosting the Radio Bridge at the Old Sawmill Schoenau 8 in Scharnstein in collaboration with Kulturverein Mühldorf and Freies Radio Salzkammergut. The location provides space for some artwork from earlier and ongoing cultural exchanges with the Tonga communities.
The Radio Bridge will be highlighted already on Tuesday 20th June from 19:07 - with a live broadcast by Radio B138 at Schoenau 8 with some radioletters as introduced and co- moderated by our partner Claudia Wegener from radio continental drift Listen to audios of the correspondence so far: https://archive.org/details/radiocontinentaldrift?tab=collection&query=radio-Bridges+South-North+23
tune in: https://cba.fro.at/podcast/radio-transfer-communities-in-dialogue
As we head into that festive time of the year we want to take this occasion to thank you for your interest in our monthly Zim Update and in our cultural exchange projects.
This time it is a special pleasure to highlight the achievement of Zongwe FM community radio to obtain a licence for broadcasting. We are happy to share with you the vibrant celebrations on site. Have a look at a short video documentary compiled by Wolfgang Fadi Dorninger based on local footage, thanks Fadi, twalumba!
On that happy note, we wish you all a Happy Holidays, wherever you may be!
On November 12th, the Sinazongwe Community on the Zambian shore of Lake Kariba had reason to celebrate the official launch of Radio Zongwe FM with the allocation of an operational license and frequency by the regulatory authorities.
From 13 - 15th April there was another Photography workshop conducted by the artist Calvin Dondo from Harare at Siachilaba for the Women Photographers Association to promote their photography skills as means of expression and self representation.
Read the report below and have a look at some pictures selected
We Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new Year.
We are sending Season's greetings and wish a Happy New Year 2015 to all our valued friends, partners, wellwishers and funders. Thank you for your tremendous support and collaboration throughout the year. We wish you Peace, Hope and Progress in 2015.
Peter Kuthan, on behalf of Austria-Zimbabwe Friendship Association AZFA / Linz
The establishment of a community radio station in Sinazongwe assisted by a team of Austrian radio activists in 2007 has been aiming to improve communication and access to information in this remote area. The station is based at Sinazongwe Basic School and has the capacity to cover a radius of 20 kilometer reaching out to approximately 10 000 people.
Now an overhaul of the station is due in July/August this year with the set up of a new transmitter expanding its range to cover the whole community as far as Mamba and Kanchindu. An application for the relevant licence is in the pipeline with fund-raising still in progress to cover the costs.
Thanks for your attention, support and solidarity,
with best regards from ARGEZIM / AZFA
Linz / Austria
Wir wünschen allen FreundInnen und UnterstützerInnen schöne Weihnachtsfeiertage und Alles Gute für 2012!
'KUNZWANA: The Keith Goddard Collection' project and website was launched at the Mannenberg in Harare on Friday 13 May 2011, by long time friends and partners Austria-Zimbabwe Friendship Association, represented by Peter Kuthan and Klaus Hollinetz, in partnership with arts development organisation Pamberi Trust (Harare) and community development organisation Basilwizi Trust (Bulawayo), supported by the Austrian Embassy in Harare and Austrian Development Cooperation.
The Book Café, Thu 12 May, 5.30pm
The Mannenberg, Fri 13 May, 6pm
This May at the Book Café and Mannenberg in Harare, arts development organisation Pamberi Trust will host two fascinating events highlighting Tonga culture in Zimbabwe.
Thursday 12 May presents a panel discussion on 'Tonga Language and Music - A cultural drive for survival and development'
followed on Friday 13 May by a multimedia presentation 'Kunzwana - The Keith Goddard Collection' Project, which documents some of the work by the late great Zimbabwean composer with Tonga musicians and other communities.
On behalf of Basilwizi Trust and the Tonga Online Project we would like to wish all our friends, stakeholders and partners a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2011!
Ube amwaaka mupiya mubotu.
Mweende Kabotu!
Twalumba loko, Leza Amulongezye and see you in 2011!
A mission report by Peter Kuthan / Austria Zimbabwe Friendship Association, AZFA
Having just concluded a journey to Harare, Bulawayo, Binga and Johannesburg, which was encompassing numerous talks with partners and stakeholders and a project visit including a review and planning workshop, I am glad to report that a major break trough has been achieved: jointly we have found a way forward to salvage both, Kunzwana and Tonga.Online projects.
We take this opportunity to wish you a joyful and peaceful festive season and a happy New Year 2010 of renewed hope and progress. At the same time we would like to thank you for your valuable contributions and support you have provided for Tonga.Online and our cultural exchange program across the waters and the continents.
We are very grateful to the many friends, stakeholders and partners who have been collaborating with Tonga.Online in support of this program and for the BaTonga people of the Zambezi Valley.
Ube amwaaka mupiya mubotu.
Mweende Kabotu!
Twalumba loko, Leza Amulongezye and see you in 2010!
Richard Simango, Acting Project Director, Binga
Penny Yon, Kunzwana Trust, Harare
Peter Kuthan, Austria Zimbabwe Friendship Association, Linz
We take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful festive season and a happy New Year 2009 of renewed hope.
At the same time we would like to thank you all for your valuable contributions and support you have provided for Tonga.Online.
We are grateful to the many friends, stakeholders and partners that
have been collaborating with Tonga.Online in support of this program and for the
BaTonga people of the Zambezi Valley.
Ube amwaaka mupiya mubotu.
Mweende Kabotu!
Twalumba loko, Leza Amulongezye and see you in 2009!
Pottar Muzamba, Project Director, Binga
Penny Yon & Keith Goddard, Kunzwana Trust, Harare
Hannes Atzinger, HORIZONT3000, Harare Office
Peter Kuthan, Austria Zimbabwe Friendship Association, Linz
Following the election of new councillors, the RDDC at its meeting of the 22nd August 2008 resolved that the councillors be enlightened on their developmental roles and on the activities of NGOs/CBOs/Trusts operating in Binga District. A workshop was therefore conducted from the 15-17 September 2008 as a follow up to the resolution and it was attended by councillors, heads of government departments and NGO managers. Basilizwi Trust organised the workshop and it was facilitated by United Nations Office of the Commission for Humanitarian Agencies (UNOCHA).
Science and Technology Subcommittee and Rural District Development Committee (RDDC) meeting update.
The Science and Technology Subcommittee meeting to map out a lobbying strategy to acquire a permit for the Binga WLAN project to operate in the ISM band was convened on the 22nd of February 2008. The S&T was followed by the Rural District Development Committee meeting on the 25th of February, 2008 to bless the recommendation of the S&T subcommittee. This is a normal course action or protocol to be observed especially when a subcommittee has no delegated powers to make resolutions for implementation on critical development issues.
Using 2.4 GHz ISM Band for Development in Rural Zimbabwe, a case for the Binga District.
request for comments
Finally the all computers have landed in Binga today 06 April 2007 and
they are temporary stored in the tonga.online office until the upgrading
commences. Currently, Binga High School is busy repainting the internal
walls of the ITC in preparation for the upgrade.
Once more I would thank everyone for the work accomplished.
Have a pleasant Easter holiday.
The data collection for the long awaited feasibility study on ICT infrastructure development, Internet connectivity and on human and organisations e-readiness commenced on the 6th of March 2007. The process of data collection started with the Science and Technology Subcommittee meeting on the 20th of February 2007, where the seven enumerators were selected for the exercise.
Tonga women in Binga have turned a natural resource -- ilala palm -- with the help of Binga Craft Centre, into a treasured commodity through weaving beautiful products.
The craft centre, whose mission is to economically empower women producing Tonga crafts through sustainable use of natural resources, has done a lot to promote women's craft in Binga District.
The Tonga people, who have always lived close to the Zambezi River, have, like the weaverbird, perfected the art of weaving to such an extent that they have managed to captivate the world with their craftsmanship.
According to Betty Mwinde, the quality controller at the centre, the woven products are in such high demand that some of them are exported as far as the United States of America.
But it is the organised manner in which the Tonga women conduct their business with the craft centre that deserves special mention.
We take this opportunity to wish you all a happy holiday season, a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2007.
We say thank you to the many friends, individuals and partners that collaborated with Tonga.Online in support of this program and for the BaTonga people of the Zambezi Valley.
Mweende Kabotu! Twalumba loko and see you in 2007!
As of today, 6th January 2007, the new website-design, based on a content management system (CMS), named Joomla! is online.
You are welcome to suggest improvements or comment on the design in the new discussion forum.
The old website has been moved to /archive.
Kunzwana Trust and The Tonga.Online project are delighted to confirm the substantial support received from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), with effect from April 2006.
With effect from January 2005, Penny Yon, who has been coordinating the project since its inception, will be based in Harare with regular visits to Binga to monitor progress of the project. A local team is being built to run the project on the ground in Binga, which is seen as a further step towards self-reliance for the project and the people of Binga.
Project partner Horizont3000 (an Austrian NGO in the field of Development Cooperation) will be conducting an Impact Assessment study of the Binga ITC, which is currently scheduled for end September/early October 2004. The study will include interviews within the community to determine the impact of the project. This should provide the base for further strategies and facilitate an extension of project funding.
The official opening of Binga Information Technology Centre on 15th February 2002 marked the successful completion of phase 1 and start into phase 2 of Tonga.Online project. The achievement was highlighted by all stakeholders and authorities present and by World Links for Development Programme who recognised Binga I.T.C. as 43rd WorLD Centre in Zimbabwe.
On the eve of the Presidential elections on 9th/10th March the focus of our attention is on Zimbabwe. We stay in solidarity with our friends and the people on the ground: may the vote and will of the people be respected and decide the direction how to overcome the current crisis: We still hope that the winner will take on his responsibility to lead the country wisely and that the looser will accept defeat without causing havoc and bloodshed. In fact the crisis the country is facing is so deep and polarisation went so far that the commitment and strongest efforts of all patriotic Zimbabweans are required to change the tide and reconcile the nation.
We are closely watching the course of events and trying the best to reflect it on discussion here (see Forum).