In the picture: Third-year Bachelor of Science in Electronics students at LEAD with Prof. Chiotha, after being briefed on the origins of Chanco Community Radio and its role in community engagement.

On 5^th March 2026, third-year Bachelor of Science in Electronics students from the University of Malawi (UNIMA) visited Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) and Chanco Community Radio (CCR) as part of their practical learning experience.

At Chanco Community Radio, students were briefed by Prof. Chiotha on how an ordinary house was converted into a fully-fledged radio station, complete with a studio, equipment procurement, and installation support provided by the Lake Chilwa Basin Climate Change Adaptation Programme (LCBCCAP). The station engineer further explained the day-to-day operational aspects, giving students a deeper understanding of how electronics underpin broadcasting.

During the visit, students also received the LCBCCAP Impact Report, which documents the establishment and impact of the community radio station. At LEAD, they were introduced to the automated weather station hosted at the institution, learning how weather forecasts are generated and relayed through the radio station, and how electronics play a critical role in this process.

The students expressed excitement at seeing the practical applications of theories taught in their program. The BSc in Electronics at UNIMA is a 3- to 6-year undergraduate program that combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills, covering core subjects, laboratory work, and digital learning platforms such as Moodle and Google Classroom. The program emphasizes hands-on activities, experiments, and interactive discussions to build technical competence and prepare graduates for real-world challenges.

In the picture: The Chanco Community Radio engineer explains day-to-day operational matters to third-year Electronics students (05 March 2026).