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The Twinning Center first started working with the Zambia Institute of Mass Communication Educational Trust (ZAMCOM) in 2005, piloting training courses to improve local media coverage of HIV/AIDS-related topics.

In 2008, ZAMCOM was teamed with the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications with the goal of strengthening its organizational capacity to train journalists on HIV/AIDS reporting, as well as on reporting techniques and print and broadcast production. Partners are also working to improve training programs based on ZAMCOM's strategic goals.

To date, they have jointly:

• trained 180 Zambian journalists on accurate HIV/AIDS reporting;
• conducted workshops in Chipata, Kitwe, and Livingstone to train community members to produce radio programs on HIV and other critical public health issues; and
• provided training for staff at community radio stations throughout the country, along with prevention messages translated into local languages.

In October 2011, partners launched the ‘Newspaper in Education’ project in close cooperation with Zambia’s Ministry of Education and the Zambia Daily Mail to improve classroom access to reading material and teaching resources — in particular on health topics and gender-based violence.

This partnership works closely with another alliance linking ZAMCOM with the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) in Botswana to implement a public awareness campaign, “Hearts & Minds.”

Updated November 15, 2011