2015 Activity ReportFondation Hirondelle

Twenty years ago a group of journalists set up Fondation Hirondelle so they could use their journalism skills to serve populations in crisis. What have we learned in 20 years? We have learned that the more the social, political or economic situation becomes tense, the more universal rules on providing credible information must be strictly respected; that when faced with a camera or a microphone, seemingly impossible dialogue between conflicting parties can become possible; that our commitment entails risks that we must accept with lucidity; and that rigorous management is the key to successful action. But our experience also reveals another fundamental truth: as we sensed 20 years ago, what populations need enormously is accurate, broad-ranging news and information free from political or commercial manipulation.

Current events require that we lean on our experience. Responding to this need will be even more difficult in the future than in the past. But as always, we will never meet the challenge without the support of public and private donors, people in political office and journalists.

Jean-Marie Etter, CEO

Rooted in Experience

2015 was a rich year for Fondation Hirondelle but not easy because - why hide the fact? - the dogged work of promoting public opinion based on good citizenship is more difficult when government budgets are tight. Why worry about independent information when the current emergency is economic crisis, the terrorist threat and mass migration?

And yet Fondation Hirondelle’s work is more necessary than ever.

Among other places, our media are working in West Africa, from which hundreds of thousands of young people are trying to flee. We are present in Mali and Burkina Faso, where Islamic radicalism is on the rise. How can we fight ideologies of hatred if not through dialogue? How can we build peaceful societies if not by respecting everyone’s opinions? That is why Fondation Hirondelle media are there.

In Conakry, a young, motivated, trained team is waiting for funding for an FM radio station so much wanted by the country. I was able to see that myself when I paid a visit there. African youth are hungry for informa-tion, they are connected, they are on the go and nothing will stop them.

Fondation Hirondelle is thinking about how it can diversify its funding sources. This is the path we will follow in the coming years. And citizens all across the world are waiting for us.

Romaine Jean Fondation Hirondelle Board Chairwoman

A Young Generation Hungry for Information

Foreword

Fondation Hirondelle Marks 20th Anniversary

Writer Eugénie Mukamugema, formerly of Radio Agatashya, speaking at Fondation Hirondelle’s 20th anniversary conference. © Photo: Jean-Philippe Challandes / Fondation Hirondelle

Since 2013, Fondation Hirondelle has been implementing a four-year action plan organized around four fields of activ-ity in the countries where it operates and at its headquarters in Lausanne. The first field of activity is producing and broad-casting news and information. This is the heart of what we do and represented 33% of Fondation Hirondelle’s volume of activi-ties in 2015. Studio Tamani in Mali, the JusticeInfo.net website and Radio Ndeke Luka in the Central African Republic are examples of how Fondation Hirondelle’s activities serve populations in need of news and information. The second field of activity is support and training of the Fondation’s media partners, including community radios in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the state broad-caster in Burkina Faso. This field of activity, which complements the first one, repre-sents 42% of expenditure. The third and fourth fields of activity are promoting the sustainability of media (15 %) and net-working and research (10% of financial volume in 2015), which are essential to promote recognition of the key role media can play providing independent news and information in crisis zones.

Four-Pronged Action

Public Interest, Solidarity and Recognition

An anniversary is not an event, it is often said in editorial rooms. But for Fondation Hirondelle, this 20th anniversary became one, thanks to the magic of the public interest and solidarity it brought.

On October 1 and 2, a conference in Geneva on “Bringing News and Information to a World in Crisis” brought together journalists, political personalities, NGO leaders and representatives of other media support organizations to exchange on media’s role in four main crises: the rising influence of religion as identity and sometimes a source of violence; the migrant crisis; difficulties of getting universal recognition for transitional justice; and restoring rule of law after conflicts and crises. The University of Neuchâtel also marked Fondation Hirondelle’s 20th anniversary with a high-level international conference on October 23 on development and sustainability of media in Africa. Researchers and stakeholders from the US, Nigeria, Portugal, France, Switzerland and other countries highlighted the huge potential for economic development of communications in Africa and the difficulties independent media face reaching the necessary managerial and financial level to exert wide influence.

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Our mobile studio at the Paléo Festival in Nyon got many visitors. © Photo: Jean-Luc Mootoosamy / Fondation Hirondelle

Fondation Hirondelle website:

hirondelle.org

facebook.com/fondationhirondelle

@FondHirondelle

Fondation Hirondelle stand at the Paléo Festival, Nyon. © Photo: Léandre Duggan / Fondation Hirondelle

Fondation Hirondelle’s role was also recognized at political level. Responding to a parliamentary query, the Swiss Federal Council (federal government) stated on August 26 that it considers the Fondation to be “a unique actor in the field of media in crisis contexts, whose work is of great pertinence and widely accepted. Today it sets an example at international level in this field”.

Any anniversary is cause to celebrate, and so we did at the Paléo Festival in Nyon, where we were guests of honour. We also associated the Central African Republic with this popular Swiss music festival, bringing one of its radio presenters to Nyon to host a special live show.

We also produced a film about Fondation Hirondelle’s history. Fuelled by the 20th anniversary, the Friends of Fondation Hirondelle Association grew stronger, and we were able to launch a new support initiative, the Media Development Circle (Cercle Médias-Mutations).

An anniversary is not an event, goes the journalists’ saying. What joy to have been an exception to this in 2015.

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Mali Studio Tamani

Representative of the High Islamic Council in the studio during a debate on Islamic radicalization . © Photo: Nicolas Boissez / Fondation Hirondelle

Grand Dialogue (“Big Debate”) programme on tran-sitional justice, Bamako. © Photo: Nicolas Boissez / Fondation Hirondelle

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Studio Tamani has been producing radio programmes for Mali since August 2013, with daily news bulletins in five languages (French, Bambara, Peulh, Tamasheq, and Sonrhaï), a flagship discussion programme called “The Big Debate” (“Le Grand Dialogue”) and features linked to news and specific issues. As of 2015, a morning news bulletin has been produced in addition to the evening programming. In total, 3 hours and 15 minutes of programming is produced and broadcast daily on weekdays. Studio Tamani thus provides reliable news and information and a space for dialogue and reconciliation for all the people of Mali. All content is produced by a team of 20 Malian journalists based in Bamako and a network of 35 correspondents across the country. The programmes are broadcast live each day by 56 partner radios throughout Mali. This network was set up as part of a partnership between Fondation Hirondelle and the Mali Union of Free Radio and Television Stations (URTEL), which first had the idea for the Studio Tamani project.

News, Information and Dialogue

A Radio Network Serving the People of Mali

“It was Studio Tamani that broke the ice between people that were fighting and would not talk to each other. By bringing them to the microphone in the `Big Debate’, Studio Tamani showed them they can talk to each other. That is an important contribution to the peace process.”

These words spoken by Amadou Thiam, second Vice-President of Mali’s National Assembly, show the role that Studio Tamani played in 2015. In a context of sharply declining security as terrorist attacks increased but also improved national dialogue after the signing of a peace deal for northern Mali, Studio Tamani fully lived up to its mandate, providing news and information to a growing number of people throughout the country. The project strengthened its position as the country’s leading media forum, promoting dialogue between all components of Malian society.

Daily programme production increased with the launch of a morning news bulletin from 8.00 to 9.15. The partner radio network was expanded to 56 radios (from 23 previously). Studio Tamani’s audience in Mali is now estimated at 1,650,000 daily listeners aged 15 or over (TNS SOFRES survey conducted at the end of 2015). The overwhelming majority of listeners

Donors:- European Union - Sweden- United Kingdom- Switzerland (partnership contract)

Contributions to specific activities:- United States (via IFES)- Hirondelle USA (Ford Foundation)- European Union (via Interpeace)

Connect:studiotamani.org

facebook.com/StudioTamani

@StudioTamani

youtube.com/user/studiotamani

Mobile Application « Studio Tamani » on I-Phone and AndroidAudioNow

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A Malian artist being interviewed by a Studio Tamani journalist in Bamako. © Photo: Marc Ellison / Fondation Hirondelle

(76% to 100%, according to location) think its programmes are “useful” or “indispensable”. The survey found that the need for independent, reliable news and information is vital especially in places directly affected by the crisis. There is a sharp difference in the results for Bamako and for the rest of the country: 84% of people listen in Timbuktu, in the heart of the Malian crisis, and only 7% in Bamako, where competition is strong and the focus of people’s interest more diverse. A new broadcast strategy is being put in place in Bamako in 2016 to attract more listeners.

To help achieve these results, the capacities of the editorial staff were much improved in 2015, under the guidance of the Fondation Hirondelle Head of Media in Bamako. The number of reports produced increased strongly to an average 900 per month, of which about half were from the 35 regional correspondents in partner radios. This makes Studio Tamani a unique news network in Mali. It has often been the first to broadcast independent, balanced news and information on sensitive issues. For example, Studio Tamani was the first media outlet to invite a member of the Touareg rebellion to its studio in June 2015 for a live debate with the authorities after the signing of the peace accord for northern Mali.

Broadcasting live from a meeting between Pope Francis and young people at Bangui Cathedral. © Photo: Jean-Luc Mootoosamy / Fondation Hirondelle

Management of Radio Ndeke Luka (RNL) and rehabilitation of 9 community radios looted during the crisis were Fondation Hirondelle’s main activities in the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2015. RNL, which was created in 2000, is the leading radio station in the CAR. “Ndeke Luka tells the truth,” say its loyal listeners. They consider it a “tool for social cohesion and reconciliation“, that it “allows dialogue” in a country where living together has been strained by the political and military crisis.

RNL broadcasts 13 news bulletins per day, debates, entertainment programmes, music and practical information in French and Sango. This content is produced by around 50 Central African journalists in Bangui and the provinces. The radio broadcasts around the clock, seven days a week using 5 FM transmitters. Now that it is on Canal Satellite Afrique it can reach the whole country. RNL also broadcasts two hours a day on shortwave. It broadcasts communiqués and advertising which comes through the advertising department of Fondation Ndeke Luka, a Central African organization that is to take over managing RNL in the future.

Central African Republic Radio Ndeke Luka and Support to Community Radios

© Photo: Jean-Luc Mootoosamy / Fondation Hirondelle

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Reconciliation

A Radio Serving Central Africans

“For us, you are more than a national radio station! Thank you Ndeke Luka!” This is how a female listener, moved to tears, expressed her gratitude after the 27-hour visit of Pope Francis to Bangui in November 2015. She wanted to thank RNL for its extensive coverage of this event which no doubt marked a turning point in the CAR’s process to emerge from crisis. Throughout those two days when almost all of Bangui was following the Pope, RNL’s jingle produced specially for the occasion could be heard everywhere. It was taken up by the 30,000 people gathered in Boganda Stadium at the end of the Mass celebrated by the Pope. This episode in the life of RNL sums up its importance in the CAR and its unique relationship with listeners, whatever their ethnic or religious belonging. Such expressions of appreciation encouraged the RNL team who had a difficult year in 2015. Despite security problems and funding difficulties, RNL continued to operate, working to serve the Central African people.

At the beginning of the year, eight of our staff who were at risk in their home districts were moved to a safe place in Bangui. For three weeks they continued their work away from their families, covering, for example, the anti-Balaka capture of French hostage Claudia Priest in January. After she was freed, Mrs. Priest said she had listened to RNL in captivity and thanked

Donors:

- Embassy of France in the CAR- Switzerland (partnership contract)- European Union- Pro Victimis- Embassy of China in the CAR- Fondation Ndeke Luka and other

private donors

Connect:

radiondekeluka.orgApplication “Radio Ndeke Luka” for iOs and Android.

AudioNow (Switzerland, US, UK, France).

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Scenes of joy after the CAR’s football victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo in September. © Photo: Jean-Luc Mootoosamy / Fondation Hirondelle

the radio for the accuracy of the information it broadcast about her capture. In October, the RNL team braved roadblocks held by armed men so that the radio could continue to broadcast. The radio opened its airwaves to humanitarian agencies to broadcast vital information that allowed ambulances to circulate in the city. For a week, RNL staff walked to the radio to do this public service work.

RNL also covered the constitutional referendum and first round of presidential and legislative elections in 2015. Its live broadcasts allowed the National Elections Authority (ANE) to react promptly to correct problems in polling stations. RNL showed it was vital for the CAR, and yet it almost had to stop broadcasting for lack of funding. The successive postponements of the elections discouraged donors. RNL’s advertising revenue also dropped owing to the slowdown in economic activity in the CAR. Fondation Hirondelle nevertheless decided to keep RNL running until new donors were found at the end of the year.

Fondation Hirondelle also completed a rehabilitation programme for community radios that were looted in 2013 and 2014. Thanks to this, nine radios in the provinces and Bangui were able to resume broadcasting their programmes and also RNL content.

GuineaStudio Hirondelle-Guinée

Children in the Studio for the programme “All the Children of Guinea”. © Photo: Daniele Piazza / Fondation Hirondelle

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Studio Hirondelle-Guinée is a radio training studio which produces and broadcasts factual, balanced, impartial, professional news, information and programmes nationwide. The programmes are produced in the Conakry studio in French, Peulh, Soussou and Malinké, and are broadcast throughout the country by a network of partner radios.

The project also aims to improve the capacities of those working in radio in Guinea, so as to create a new generation of journalists that can work professionally and inform the Guinean population in a responsible way. The goal of improving professionalism is focused on two main target groups: journalism students and those in their last year of studies at ISIC (High Institute of Information and Communication) and key people working in rural radio stations, which provide news and information to people living in the interior of the country.

The project was launched on January 1, 2014 and in less than a year it had gained the trust of partners, actors in the media sector and the Guinean Ministry of Communication.

Professionalism

A production and training studio

The editorial staff of Studio Hirondelle-Guinée was boosted in 2015, allowing production of 1,100 radio programmes in 4 languages, broadcast throughout the country by the 27 stations of the Radio Rurale network. Nearly half of these programmes were aimed at sensitizing people and providing information to fight the Ebola epidemic, which only started subsiding at the end of the year. A new weekly half-hour programme was also launched for young children, “All the Children of Guinea”.

The other event that marked the year was the presidential election. A special programme schedule was put in place in September and October, keeping all the editorial team busy. It included news (“Election News Bulletin”), civic education (“Understanding the Elections”), “Questions to the Independent Electoral Commission” and debate programmes. Training delivered by Studio Hirondelle-Guinée in 2015 contributed to sustainable improvement of capacities among the media actors in the country. Studio Hirondelle-Guinée is the only institution offering continuous and follow-up training to Guinean journalists and radio technicians. One-month or one to two - week intensive courses train professionals in ethics and in all radio skills. This unique service represents a drive for sustainable development of quality

A Studio Hirondelle-Guinée journalist reporting on deforestation.© Photo: Tristan Miquel / Fondation Hirondelle

Interview with a woman cured of Ebola. © Photo: Tristan Miquel / Fondation Hirondelle

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media in Guinea. During the year, 190 people benefitted from these training courses.

Work on technical rehabilitation of stations of the Radio Rurale network started in 2014 was completed during the year. Ten stations of the Radio Rurale network received new production and broadcasting equipment and technical support to install it. All stations of the Radio Rurale network now have an Internet connection that allows them to connect with their management and download Studio Hirondelle Guinea programmes for broadcast.

In July 2015 Forum Idéal, a Guinean NGO which is a Fondation Hirondelle partner, obtained authorization to launch an FM radio station with Fondation Hirondelle. This is the first such authorization issued by the country’s new High Communication Authority. It is a formidable opportunity to multiply the impact of our work in Guinea so far. Studio Hirondelle-Guinée should thus be transformed in 2016 into a radio school.

Donors:

- European Union (via FEI and ECES)- UNICEF- Switzerland (partnership contract)

Contributions to specific activities:

- Hirondelle USA (Ford Foundation)- Management of Radio Rurale de Guinée

Connect:

studiohirondelle.org

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Democratic Republic of Congo Support to community radios and Radio Okapi

A listener of Vuvu Kieto, partner radio of Fondation Hirondelle in the DRC. © Photo: Gwenn Dubourthoumieu 2011

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Fondation Hirondelle’s efforts are focused on three fields linked to the country’s efforts to emerge from crisis. In 2002, the United Nations mission in the DRC, supported by Fondation Hirondelle, created a national, broad-interest “peace radio”, Radio Okapi . In a country frag-mented by different political and military forces, Okapi’s professional, impartial news and information and its debate programmes like “Dialogue between Congolese” quickly became popular. Today it is still the leading radio station in the DRC. In 2004, the Fondation also started working with community radio partners of Radio Okapi, providing them with journa-listic, technical and managerial support. In 2014, the Fondation launched new programming on the theme of ”Building the Future”, aimed particularly at women and youth.

Evolution

Development of the radio sector

In 2015, Fondation Hirondelle continued its support to community radios in the DRC. On the editorial front, 24 radios received personalized coaching for their journalists who are Radio Okapi correspondents, and training in how to conduct political debates. In management and marketing, 49 radios received training and coaching for their managers and section heads, plus technical support in the form of equipment, installation of solar power kits, and an Internet hotline to help diagnose and repair technical problems. Fondation Hirondelle provided this support as part of the “Media Sector Development Program” (MSDP), funded by USAID and managed by Internews. The first five-year phase of the MSDP was completed at the end of 2015.

A third group of 82 radios makes up the Hirondelle Network in the DRC. It is managed by Hirondelle Communication, which represents them with institutional publicity clients in Kinshasa. Broadcast contracts with NGOs, international and government agencies for sensitization campaigns generate regular fee revenue indispensable for the sustainability of these radios, whose financial situation remains fragile. This constantly growing network (+3 radios in 2015) is the media network with the biggest penetration in the country. More than half of its members are in rural areas where 60% of the Congolese population live.

MONUSCO

Donors:

- United States- Switzerland (partnership contract)

Contributions to specific activities:

- Hirondelle Communication (institutional communication contracts)

Connect:

radiookapi.net

facebook.com/radiookapi

@radiookapi

Support to community radios:

radionet.cd

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TunisiaSupport to The National Radio Broadcaster of Tunisia

Interview by Radio Gafsa, a Radio Tunisienne station supported by Fondation Hirondelle.© Photo: Gwenn Dubourthoumieu 2015

Transformation

Strengthening the regional radio stations

The third phase of Fondation Hirondelle support to Tunisian state broadcaster Radio Tunisienne, which was agreed in June 2015, aims to reform the last two regional stations of the network, Radio Monastir and Radio Sfax. The focus once again is on increasing their audience and audience loyalty by expanding their correspondent network to bring their editorial content closer to the people. At the end of 2015, an upsurge of social tension in the towns where the correspondent bureaux were set up confirmed the pertinence of this approach proposed by Fondation Hirondelle. The correspondents, who had received training, were able to cover the events for the different stations of Radio Tunisienne, providing content that no other media had. Hirondelle’s methodology, guided by audience surveys before and after launching a new programme schedule, allows its impact on the stations’ popularity to be measured.

Fondation Hirondelle also continued to support Radio Tunisienne in overhauling its website and social media content, particularly to attract young people. A new web portal with all the functions of a professional multimedia site was launched in October 2014. Its reactive content, which is updated several times a day, still needs to be improved by better integrating the website journalists into the editorial teams of the regional stations.

In the wake of Tunisia’s December 2010 revolution and the political transition that started in August 2011, the new management of Radio Tunisienne launched a process to transform the state radio inherited from the Ben Ali era into a real public service. Fondation Hirondelle and Radio Tunisienne began their partnership in August 2011 with a first phase focused on covering the November 2011 elections and reform of Radio Gafsa, one of Radio Tunisienne’s five regional stations. This was successful, and the Fondation then extended its support to reform two other regional stations, Radio Kef and Radio Tataouine. Particular attention is paid to bringing them closer to their listeners, by training 10 correspondents deployed to five bureaux in satellite towns of the regional radios.

Donor:

- Switzerland (SDC: project contribution)

Connect:

radiotunisienne.tn

facebook.com/RadioTunisienne.tn

@RadioTunisienne

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Côte d’Ivoire Support to Studio Mozaik

A trainee journalist reading the news. © Photo: Nicolas Boissez / Fondation Hirondelle

After a first mission to Abidjan in June 2011 in the wake of the post-election crisis, Fondation Hirondelle received a request in 2012 from Fondation Dr Peter Graze, an association created by Ivorian media professionals, and German NGO Culture Counts. These two organizations sought Hirondelle’s expertise to set up a radio station that would promote dialogue and reconciliation. A plan was drawn up in 2013 for “Mozaik FM”, a name reflecting the mosaic of rich culture in Côte d’Ivoire. This project took shape in 2014 with the opening of a radio training school, thanks to funding from the European Union. Studio Mozaik was set up with advice, editorial and training expertise from Fondation Hirondelle up to the end of 2015 (end of the EU funding).

A Training Studio

Training a new generation of journalists

As part of the European Union-funded project to the end of 2015, 84 students and journalists from partner radios were trained at Studio Mozaik over periods of three months, followed by a further three months of practical training. These training courses covered basic principles allowing journalists to work in a professional, impartial and responsible way. The young journalists were able to put what they learned into practice through the production of programmes as part of the training. They also provided programme content for Studio Mozaik’s network of 42 partner radios throughout the country. In Côte d’Ivoire, 2015 was marked by the re-election of President Alassane Ouattara. Fondation Hirondelle put in place a specific project to support Studio Mozaik in covering this election. A team of 12 stringers was formed from former trainees of the training studio. Supervised by the Fondation Hirondelle editorial chief, they provided daily coverage for three months of election preparations and the poll itself, keeping the focus on the needs and expectations of the population. Their reports were broadcast by 19 partner radios provided with VSAT kits, including 12 hours of live broadcasts on election day. The programmes were also broadcast on a web radio (www.mozaikwebradio.com). A web documentary (https://re04f25922.racontr.com) was produced by Fondation Hirondelle to present the work accomplished in an interactive way.

Donors:

- European Union (via Culture Counts)- Germany- Fondation Hirondelle

(Switzerland, partnership contract) - Hirondelle USA (Ford Foundation)

Connect:

studiomozaik.org

facebook.com/studiomozaikci

@studiomozaik

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Transitional JusticeJusticeInfo.net

Informing, Training and Creating Networks

Interview with a Sierra Leonean policeman. © Photo: Jean-Claude Capt / Fondation Hirondelle.

JusticeInfo.net is the only bilingual (French and English) online media offering news coverage and interactive content on transitional justice in post-conflict societies. It aims to help strengthen national and international justice processes promoting international norms in the fight against massive violations of human rights abuses and impunity. Without a high standard of justice, citizens tend to see their institutions as corrupt and distrust them, while social and political tensions may rise in countries emerging from conflict. The site targets media and transitional justice stakeholders, but also directly affected populations deprived of their right to information by conflict or disaster situations.

Promoting a high standard of justice

JusticeInfo.net is an electronic media platform launched by Fondation Hirondelle in 2015, which aims to become the go-to website for coverage of transitional justice worldwide. It provides factual reports, analysis, different opinions and ideas. The site is also an educational tool, with an interactive calendar, glossary of transitional justice terms, biographies and country backgrounders. It has inherited the archives in four languages of Hirondelle News, created by the Fondation in 1995 to cover the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

JusticeInfo.net has a network of 15 journalists and 12 experts from 10 countries, allowing it to cover 25 countries in particular, including Bosnia, Burundi, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria and Tunisia. This project also helps strengthen the capacities of journalists covering transitional justice by editorial coaching and helping them network. It helps create a space for dialogue and debate by organizing events where journalists, specialists and members of the public can meet to discuss transitional justice.

Among visitors to JusticeInfo.net, 15% are, for example, from Tunisia, thanks to more than 30 articles and academic analyses on this country. Some 8% of visitors are from the Netherlands, where the International Criminal Court is based.

Donors:

- Switzerland (partnership contract)- UNDP Tunisia- Robert Bosch Stiftung- City of Geneva

Connect:

justiceinfo.net

facebook.com/JusticeInfo

@justiceinfonet

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Burkina FasoSupport to the National Broadcaster of Burkina Faso (RTB)

An RTB journalist reporting. © Photo: Denis Vincenti / Fondation Hirondelle

Following the events of October 2014, when the destruction of some RTB installations showed the extent of public dissatisfaction with the national broadcaster (RTB), the government of Burkina Faso asked the SDC (Swiss government agency) for support. The SDC, in close consultation with the Ministry of Communication, mandated a team of Fondation Hirondelle experts to evaluate the needs of the RTB and identify the elements for a partnership. In collaboration with the RTB and the SDC, Fondation Hirondelle proposed a project to support the RTB during the transition and post-election period. Fondation Hirondelle was mandated by the SDC to support the RTB for a period of 18 months.

Transition

New Challenges for Burkina Faso’s Public Broadcaster Since August 2015, Fondation Hirondelle has been providing editorial and technical support to Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina Faso (RTB), the state broadcaster of Burkina Faso. After the popular uprising of 2014, people have high expectations of their national broadcaster and want the RTB to become the media for all citizens of Burkina Faso.

During the presidential and legislative elections in November 2015, Fondation Hirondelle supported the RTB in producing and broadcasting programmes. It provided training in electoral coverage for journalists, and the RTB’s correspondent network was strengthened to ensure national coverage. Technical support allowed professional broadcasting. Fondation Hirondelle also supported the editorial teams during the elections and worked with the web team to improve the coverage on RTB’s website and social media. This support helped the RTB provide coverage for all the people of Burkina Faso that was worthy of these historic elections.

To support the RTB in its transition to a public service, the Fondation is also organizing a series of discussion forums on the future of media in Burkina Faso. Before the elections it brought together, in partnership with the Centre National de Presse Norbert Zongo, all the main political parties and presidential candidates to explain their visions for the future of public broadcasting in Burkina Faso and press freedom in the country.

Donor:

- Switzerland (mandate)

Connect:

rtb.bf

facebook.com/rtburkina

@rtburkina

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NigerStudio Kalangou

Mariama Diallo, presenter of the news bulletin in French. © Photo: Pauline Bend / Fondation Hirondelle

Studio Kalangou is a production studio set up in Niamey in September 2015. The project aims to work alongside other media and institutional actors to promote dialogue between different components of society, so that elections in Niger in 2016 can be approached in a responsible, transparent and peaceful way, and to cover the post-electoral period.

Its programmes aim to help the people of Niger better understand what is at stake in governance and elections, to promote a culture of dialogue and participation in public life, and thus contribute to stability and social cohesion. Two of its implementing partners are the Network of Community Radios (RACOM) and the Niger Association of Private Radio and Television Promoters (APRTPN).

Social cohesion

A Successful Launch

Studio Kalangou offers one and a half hours of daily programming, including news bulletins in 4 languages (French, Haoussa, Zarma and Peulh), civic education programmes, features on the daily life of men and women in Niger and a big debate programme.

In 2016 it aims to increase production to two hours of programmes and add a fifth language, Tamasheq. To achieve this goal, Studio Kalangou plans to mobilize a network of partner radios to broadcast its programmes throughout Niger. It will also provide professional, practical, intensive training to strengthen the editorial and technical capacities of journalists in its partner radios, as well as other people aiming to be professional journalists or radio technicians in Niger. The project was launched in the last quarter of 2015. Activities focussed on recruiting and training the journalists and administrative staff, installing the technical equipment needed for radio production and satellite broadcasting and finalizing partnership agreements with the main local organizations of private and community radios in the country. Progress in these activities allowed production of radio programmes to start in January 2016.

Donors:- Switzerland (mandate)- United Kingdom

Connect:

facebook.com/Studio-Kalangou-889644731134054

soundcloud.com/studio-kalangou

Looking for partners

Three new Fondation Hirondelle operations were launched in 2015: the JusticeInfo.net website in June, a mandate to support state broadcaster RTB in Burkina Faso in August, and Studio Kalangou in Niger in September. Starting a new project comes after months of reflection, making contacts, seeking operational and funding partners, and requires mobilizing the expertise of the whole team.

We continued at the same time to seek partners for projects in Myanmar, Ukraine and Palestine. The media situation in Ukraine remains very polarized, with a rise in biased reporting and a decline in the financial means of media that want to produce independent information. In Palestine, the increase in tension with Israel, perceived loss of legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority and the regional context make potential public and private partners hesitate to invest in an independent media for the Palestinian people.

In Nepal and Libya, civil society partners contacted us to help reflect with them on suitable media responses to the crises there. In Nepal, the focus is on reconstruction after the earthquake, transparency and tracking the millions that have been invested in infrastructure. In Libya, what is at stake is much thornier: contributing through news and information produced in Libya by Libyans to national unity, the fight against armed groups and restoration of peace.

New Projects

A resident of Donetsk, in the secessionist region of Donbass, Ukraine, August 2015. © Photo: AFP.

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2015 was a historic year for Myanmar, with presidential and legislative elections that brought a civilian president to power. Fondation Hirondelle, which has been actively looking since 2013 for ways to promote independent information for the maximum number of people, signed an agreement in 2015 with the Parliament of Myanmar. This agreement aims to help Parliament open up to the media, and train the media in parliamentary coverage. At present relations between the parliament and media are virtually non-existent. There is no system for accrediting journalists to Parliament and its public information service only provides sporadic information on its agenda, work of its commissions and so on. The international community waited throughout 2015 for the election results and to see if they would be accepted by all parties before committing support for projects linked to governance and democratic transition in Myanmar. We have therefore not yet been able to start activities, for lack of funding. The priority in 2016 will be to find funding for the project and launch it.

Myanmar, History in the Making

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The Fondation Hirondelle team in Lausanne. © Photo: Sandra Garrido / Fondation Hirondelle

A powerful management tool

Fondation Hirondelle has taken the decision to develop and install a powerful new tool for financial and administrative management, to meet the ever more detailed requirements of its different donors. For any company, putting in place this tool known as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) requires considerable investment in work, analysis and specialized expertise. Fondation Hirondelle is no exception. Despite a limited number of headquarters staff and the need to continue ensuring operational management at the same time as developing this tool, the Fondation has successfully put in place the main components of the software and conducted training on it at headquarters and in its various operations. This programme has involved all our staff in Switzerland and proved highly motivating for those who have led it.

The Fondation is also approaching more and more private partners to support its activities. To this end, the Management has made many contacts and launched the Media Development Circle (Cercle Médias-Mutations), an informal network of personalities interested in helping us develop our activities. This is a network of company managers, local authorities and philanthropists who believe they and the media have a role to play in promoting good citizenship, and that it is useful to work together for social cohesion and the public good.

The Fondation Hirondelle Board was also boosted with the addition of two new members: Guillaume Pictet and Mario Fetz.

Development of Fondation Hirondelle

The Friends of Fondation Hirondelle Association offers anyone interested in the Fondation’s activities a platform where they can stay in close contact with us. This association keeps its members regularly up to date on our various operations. Its focus is not only on news and information in crisis zones but also more generally the social role of media throughout the world, and therefore also in Europe. The association organizes activities in Switzerland and France, such as meetings with editors, visits to media, debates and meetings with journalists from Fondation Hirondelle media.

Each member contributes to the association with an annual subscription of CHF 100. Many members also add donations, which go to the Fondation’s Support Fund. This fund, which cannot be used for operating costs, provides a sort of complement to the Fondation capital. The Friends of Fondation Hirondelle association gained 60 new members in 2015.

Website:amisfondationhirondelle.org

Friends of Fondation Hirondelle

Fondation Hirondelle Operations in 2015

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Democratic Republic of Congo Support to community radios Support to Radio Okapi 5 sta� 1 716 080 CHF

MaliStudio Tamani37 sta�1 678 140 CHF

NigerStudio Kalangou

GuineaStudio Hirondelle-

3 sta� 925 700 CHF

Côte d’Ivoire Studio Mozaik

1 sta� 360 760 CHF

SWITZERLANDHeadquarters

United States Hirondelle USA 1 sta� 20 000 CHF

Tunisia

Central Africain RepublicRadio Ndeke LukaSupport to community radios56 sta�1 427 750 CHF

32 sta� 607 190 CHF

9 sta�1 095 430 CHF

29 sta�, of whom

Burkina Faso Support to Radio-

3 sta� 481 210 CHF

1 431 380 CHF

Guinée

some part-time

Support to RadioTunisienne

du Burkina di�usion Télévision

Transitional Justice

JusticeInfo.net4 staff345 620 CHF

New Projects /exploration

Libya•Myanmar•Nepal•Palestine•Ukraine•

Fondation Hirondelle Operations in 2015

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Democratic Republic of Congo Support to community radios Support to Radio Okapi 5 sta� 1 716 080 CHF

MaliStudio Tamani37 sta�1 678 140 CHF

NigerStudio Kalangou

GuineaStudio Hirondelle-

3 sta� 925 700 CHF

Côte d’Ivoire Studio Mozaik

1 sta� 360 760 CHF

SWITZERLANDHeadquarters

United States Hirondelle USA 1 sta� 20 000 CHF

Tunisia

Central Africain RepublicRadio Ndeke LukaSupport to community radios56 sta�1 427 750 CHF

32 sta� 607 190 CHF

9 sta�1 095 430 CHF

29 sta�, of whom

Burkina Faso Support to Radio-

3 sta� 481 210 CHF

1 431 380 CHF

Guinée

some part-time

Support to RadioTunisienne

du Burkina di�usion Télévision

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General Financial Situation Fondation Hirondelle had a difficult financial year once again. The main reason was the very late signature, - some in 2016 - of several 2015 funding contracts. This left uncertainty with regard to the final result and the Fondation was obliged to limit all its expenditure. On the positive front, the Swiss government’s contribution and its flexible conditions allowed the Fondation to keep its priority activities going despite lack of funding from traditional donors. Cashflow difficulties were managed with the help of donations to the support fund, and a provision for operational risks (termination of staff contracts) was created.Overall annual expenditure in 2015 was 10,301,578 CHF, which was down on the previous year. The operating result showed a deficit of 10,439 CHF. Exchange rate losses totalled 2,186 CHF. Taking account of other costs and financial products, the year ended with a balanced final result.

Human Resources Fondation Hirondelle relies on the commitment of its 104 national staff to fulfil its mandate, in the countries where it works. There are also about 30 trainees and correspondents. These employees are supported by 13 expatriates on long-term contracts and experts on short-term missions (47 missions of 2 weeks to 3 months conducted in 2015). The total number of staff remained stable. On December 31, 2015, 13 people on the equivalent of 10.7 full-time posts were employed working directly on projects, while another 16 (on the equivalent of 14.7 full-time posts) were employed in management, transversal and other support. Fondation Hirondelle is also training an apprentice.

Project expenditureOut of total expenditure of 10,301,578 CHF, 13.9% went on headquarters support operations, support to Hirondelle USA and to cover exchange rate fluctuations. The remaining 8,870,200 CHF went to projects, with 59.7% spent on staff costs, 28.6% on operating costs and 11.7% on equipment.

Project Country/ Theme Expenditure

Support to Radiodiffusion Télévision Burkina Faso 481,215

Studio Mozaik Côte d’Ivoire 360,763

Studio Hirondelle-Guinée Guinea 1,095,429

Studio Tamani Mali 1,678,137

Studio Kalangou Niger 607,195

Radio Ndeke Luka - Support to community radios CAR 1,427,751

Radio Okapi - MSDP - HC DRC 1,716,085

Support to Radio Tunisienne Tunisia 925,708

JusticeInfo.net Transitional Justice 345,624

New projects Various 232,293

Administration and Finance

Global annual expenditure over 10 years (in CHF)

2007

2008

2009

2010

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2006

10,000,000

8,000,000

6,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

0

12,000,000

Summary of Fondation Hirondelle accountsThe accounts were audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers SA, which presented its audit report on May 20, 2016. This work included a detailed audit of the accounts and allocation of precise sums to the different projects, as well as an audit of the internal control system. The overall presentation of the accounts meets the requirements of the Swiss norms GAAP FER 21.According to the audit report, “the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015 give a true and fair view of the financial position, the results of operations and the cash flows in accordance with Swiss GAAP FER 21 and comply with Swiss law and the foundation’s deed and internal regulations.”We summarize below the operating accounts for the year 2015. The full audit report may be obtained from Fondation Hirondelle on request.

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Financial Resources Fondation Hirondelle’s total revenue was 10,288,953 CHF in 2015, and came from the following donors:

Institutional donorsGermanyChina (Embassy in the CAR) United States – Internews and Ifes France UN organizations (UNICEF and UNDP) United KingdomSwedenSwitzerland European UnionEuropean Union / FEI (France Expertise Internationale)European Union / Interpeace

Other donors City of Geneva RTS partnershipFondation Pro VictimisHirondelle USA / Ford FoundationMiscellaneous donations

Other revenueSales and advertisingFondation Ndeke Luka / own revenue

Type of revenue

228,2183,200

852,56429,325

482,91262,476

1,264,4344,554,2281,139,946

274,792239,486

2.22 %0.03 %

8.29 %0.29 %4.69 %0.61 %

12.29 %44.26 %11.08 %

2.67 %2.33 %

Revenue in CHF Revenue as % of total

15,00075,000

200,00058,018

162,046

0.15 %0.73 %1.94 %0.56 %1.57 %

617,71229,596

6.00 %0.29 %

Switzerland44.3 %

Sources of revenue in 2015

UN organizations4.7 %

Germany2.2 %

Own revenue0.3 %

European Union/ FEI2.7 %

Sweden12.3 %

US (Ifes - Internews)8.3 %

Other products6.0 % Embassy of Chine

(RCA) 0.03 %

European Union 11.1 % i

Various donors5.0 %

European Union/Interpeace 2.3 %

UK0.6 %

France0.3 %

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I. Balance Sheet as at December 31, 2015 (in Swiss francs)

Assets 2015 2014Current assetsLiquid assets 2,038,267 945,335Third party debtors 115,644 72,890Prepaid expenses 85,367 140,943

Non current assetsFinancial assets 52,358 38,064Fixed assets (equipment) 91,367 154,284

Total assets 2,383,003 1,351,516

LiabilitiesShort term liabilitiesShort term debts 346,544 0Accrual and deferred income 184,776 563,136Provision for audit fees 62,200 98,000Other provisions 12,981 134,625Loans 56,341 100,000

Long term liabilitiesProvisions for legal contingencies 334,143 0Provisions for termination of staff contracts 50,855 0

Restricted fundsFunds allocated by donors 617,295 -330,220 Other allocated funds 217,361 331,598

Capital Foundation capital 50,000 50,000Unrestricted funds 0 862Support fund 139,817 92,825Operating capital 310,690 310,690

Total liabilities 2,383,003 1,351,516

II. Operating Account of Fondation Hirondelle (in Swiss francs)

Income 2015 2014Income allocated by donors 6,866,645 7,931,303Income allocated by the Foundation 2,775,000 2,637,626Other income 647,308 552,512

Total income 10,288,953 11,121,441

Operational ExpenditureStaff 5,298,111 5,859,452Operations 2,539,183 2,727,089Equipment 982,906 662,421Contribution to partner projects 50,000 50,000

Total operational expenditure 8,870,200 9,298,962

Headquarters ExpenditureStaff 739,750 1,039,788Operations 599,471 489,399Equipment 69,971 73,516Support to Hirondelle USA 20,000 70,000

Total headquarters expenditure 1,429,192 1,672,703

Operating result -10,439 149,776Financial result (income and expenditure, exchange rate fluctuation) 10,439 -149,776

Final result 0 0

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Members of the Board in 2015

Romaine Jean Chairwoman of the Board. Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of social affairs programmes at Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS)

Paul Grossrieder Former Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Serge Michel Senior Reporter at Le Monde, columnist and Editor-in-Chief of Le Monde Afrique

Jacques Forster Honorary Professor of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva and former Vice President of the ICRC

Dick Marty Former member of the Swiss Council of States

Martin Woker Former member of the international editorial staff of Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ)

Guillaume Pictet Vice-President of the Board of De Pury Pictet Turrettini & Cie SA

Mario Fetz Director of External Relations at the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) – Former Marketing Director at the World Food Programme (WFP), WWF and ICRC

Jean-Marie Etter CEO of Fondation Hirondelle

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Cover Photos

1st page:

Studio Hirondelle-Guinée. Photo © Tristan Miquel / Fondation Hirondelle

2nd page: (from left to right and from top to bottom)

Fondation Hirondelle 20th Anniversary conference. Photo © Jean-Philippe ChallandesFondation Hirondelle 20th Anniversary conference. Photo © Jean-Philippe ChallandesStudio Mozaik. Photo © Nicolas Boissez / Fondation HirondelleStudio Hirondelle-Guinée. Photo © Tristan Miquel / Fondation HirondelleFondation Hirondelle at the 2016 Paléo Festival. Photo © Jean-Luc Mootoosamy / Fondation Hirondelle

3rd page: (from left to right and from top to bottom)

Studio Hirondelle-Guinée. Photo © Tristan Miquel / Fondation HirondelleStudio Hirondelle-Guinée. Photo © Tristan Miquel / Fondation HirondelleStudio Mozaik. Photo © Nicolas Boissez / Fondation HirondelleFondation Hirondelle 20th Anniversary conference. Photo © Jean-Philippe Challandes

hirondelle.org

20 YEARS - MEDIA FOR DIALOGUE

hirondelle.org

Fondation Hirondelle is a Swiss public service NGO made up of journalists and humanitarian aid professionals. Since 1995, it has been creating and supporting broad-based, independent news media that promote good citizenship in conflict and post-conflict zones, situations of endemic crisis or any other situation where the right to information is violated. Its editorial policy focuses on promoting human dignity and human rights on a concrete, daily basis. Fondation Hirondelle aims to create or support sustainable media that can continue fulfilling their social role after assistance from the Fondation and its donors comes to an end.