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Malawi

Blog | Malawi

Malawi: A prying press silenced by injunctions

By Tom Rhodes/CPJ East Africa Consultant

In Malawi, where half the population survives on a dollar a day, it proves wise for the political elite to keep their exorbitant wealth hidden from public scrutiny. That's why they appear to be running to the courthouse to file injunctions to silence the press.

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Blog | Malawi

The Malawian who harnessed the airwaves

By Mohamed Hassim Keita and Caitlin Clarke/CPJ Africa Staff

Villagers gather at Kondesi's radio station. (Zodiak Broadcasting)

After The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the autobiography of ingenious 22-year-old William Kamkwamba’s homemade electric windmill in Malawi, comes “the boy who harnessed the airwaves” by building a radio station with rudimentary materials. The tale of 21-year-old Malawian Gabriel Kondesi also showcases the inventiveness spawned by life in this impoverished, landlocked nation in southeastern Africa. Unlike the story of Kamkwamba, though, Kondesi’s tale is still unfolding.