BASEflow’s paper on the Madzi Ndiye Moyo radio series, which aired mid-2017, has been selected for presentation at the 41^st Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) Conference in Nakuru, Kenya  from 9^th-13^th July 2018. The WEDC conference, held under the theme “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient WASH services”, attracts water practitioners, researchers and academics from across the world and is a comprehensive and interactive learning event, which provides continued professional development for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector professionals.

Our paper, entitled “Getting the message across: An experiment in radio-based water resources management education in Malawi”, will share our experience and lessons learnt implementing radio education programs. Some key point to be shared include:  

• Listeners are interested in understanding how to manage their water resources i.e. the science isn’t boring!
• The programs that focused on citizen empowerment received marked interest from listeners i.e. water user are keen to know how they can hold drillers and NGOs accountable for bad installations.
• Youth involvement and leadership buy-in are critical for sustaining behavior change e.g. adopting permaculture practices.

The paper will be presented by BASEflow’s Team Leader, Muthi Nhlema, and this represents the first time for BASEflow to present a paper at an international conference.