Active in Burkina Faso since 2018, Studio Yafa provides information and spaces for dialogue about the country’s social and political life through multimedia programs (radio, television and video) aimed at youth, women and vulnerable people. Its news programmes and debates are produced in five languages (Mooré, Dioula, Fulfulde, Gulmancema and French) by a team of journalists, translators and technicians supported by
correspondents from 38 partner radio stations located throughout the country.
Studio Yafa works in partnership with Union Nationale de l’Audiovisuel Libre du Faso (UNALFA), MOUSSO NEWS (an online media platform specializing in gender issues), FASOCHECK (an association of journalists specialized in fact-checking), Laboratoire Citoyennetés, and Institut Général Tiémoko Marc Garango pour la Gouvernance et le Développement (IGD).
Key Figures 2024
459 hours of audio and 11 hours of video broadcast
160 media professionals trained
152,270 social media followers
Financial Volume 2024
1,881,485 CHF
Sources of Funding
• Switzerland (Project Contributions)
• Switzerland (SDC Mandate)
• Sweden (SIDA)
• Switzerland (SDC Core Contribution)
• United Kingdom (FCDO – ISF)
• Communication Partnership Contracts
• Netherlands (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Däster Schild Foundation
• Czech Republic (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Foundation for Aid to Children and the Third World
LOCAL, RELIABLE AND MULTILINGUAL INFORMATION THAT WORKS FOR BURKINABÈ
In 2024, the Burkina Faso transitional government increased its defence budget to expand the fight against armed groups. The economic situation worsened, with inflation rates reaching 6.3% in October. In the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, the country’s ranking fell from 58 to 86. On 6th July 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced that the Alliance of Sahel States would become a confederation.
Against this backdrop, Studio Yafa retained its central place in the daily lives of youth, women and vulnerable people, producing series of programmes including Yafa Celebrates Women, Yafa at School, Yafa in the Field, and features such as A Reminder About Dengue Fever and Measles. Studio Yafa pursued its humanitarian radio programming aimed at internally displaced people and host communities, with its journalists covering these populations’ living conditions every Saturday. Working with Fondation Hirondelle’s two other Sahel stations, Studio Tamani in Mali and Studio Kalangou in Niger, Studio Yafa co-produced programmes aired in 12 languages by 202 radio and 12 television stations, reaching an audience of 7 million. Lastly, two television programmes were produced: the first, in partnership with the national channel RTB, was about the promotion of young civic project leaders, and the second, in partnership with BF1 (the country’s most-watched private channel), about accountability and citizens’ watch initiatives.
Thanks to Studio Yafa’s programmes, we know what life is like in some remote areas.
Listener in Mangodara
Studio Yafa also held a series of training sessions on topics ranging from fake news and fact-checking to techniques for speaking in public and in the media. In October, Studio Yafa obtained its Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification. Over 80% of listeners who participated in focus groups expressed their satisfaction with and trust in content produced by Studio Yafa (AGEXS Afrique study). 90% of people who took part in group listening sessions held by community stations agreed that the productions contributed to social cohesion.
In 2025, Studio Yafa will raise public awareness about the responsible and critical use of online and social media resources. A special focus group will be set up to monitor and analyse hate speech and fake news, playing a key role in raising public awareness about the risks of disinformation.
