Caroline Vuillemin

General Director

The beginning of 2022, marked by a new war whose international consequences remain largely unknown, encourages us to work even harder towards our ambition: the existence of free media in fair, democratic and peaceful societies.

Tony Burgener

Chairman of the Board

Factual and accurate information focused on essential needs has become a tool that offers people not only a glimmer of hope in often desperate situations but also a compass to help regain a little humanity.
 
Getting the word out on COVID-19 across Africa. Read about our initiatives >
 
 

Voice, Information, Dignity

Hirondelle USA is a non-profit organization that advances the right to information through the practice of journalism. Through our partnership with Fondation Hirondelle we bring solutions to the opportunities and challenges of implementing large-scale media projects in the world’s most vulnerable and volatile regions.

 

We believe that creating public service media that evolve into effective media businesses that are viable and financially independent is the best guarantee that communities will have access to the information they need to lead healthy and productive lives as engaged citizens.

 

 
 
Home HirondelleUSA

Find out more about Fondation Hirondelle's work around the world to help make the right to information a reality in conflict and post conflict nations.

Home HirondelleUSA

Discover Justiceinfo.net —a news, analysis and discussion platform on social justice.

 

Highlights 2021

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Hours of audio programs
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246 team members worldwide

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Studio Kalangou, 1st African media certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative – JTI

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Launch of the Burundi Project

 
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Policy paper on « Our Response to Disinformation »

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5 Studies on Media Impact

 

Key numbers

12522
Hours of audio programs
10

Media Operations
in 20 countries,
on 3 continents

327

Hours of video programs

10602

Articles on the web

1159470

Users of our websites

542172

Followers on Facebook and Twitter

545

Media supported

7

Million regular listeners of our 6 media
(Kantar survey 2020)

Where We Work

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News

November 15, 2019
November 15, 2019
Categories

Our media in the Sahel: Special co-production on migration

Studio Tamani (Mali) and Studio Kalangou (Niger), Fondation Hirondelle's projects in the Sahel, and radio Fitila de Gao in Mali have joined forces for the first time to co-produce a dialogue programme on the theme of "Irregular migration to Europe: causes, consequences and solutions".
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April 30, 2020
April 30, 2020
Categories

In CAR, education programs by Radio Ndeke Luka for pupils at home because of Covid-19

Radio lessons in Mathematics and French for children: a key program broadcasted by Radio Ndeke Luka in this time of health crisis (COVID-19). Due to the pandemic, schools are closed in CAR and children and their teachers confined to their homes.
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April 30, 2020
April 30, 2020
Categories

The challenges of journalism during Covid-19 lockdown in Madagascar

Misa Ramisarivelo is Editor-in-Chief of Studio Sifaka, a radio programme for young people in Madagascar, created by the United Nations in partnership with Fondation Hirondelle. She explains the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on her country, and on the work of journalists.
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April 30, 2020
April 30, 2020
Categories

Radio + Mobile = a winning combination to inform the populations in the Sahel

The audio programmes of Studio Tamani, Studio Kalangou and Studio Yafa have been accessible by mobile phone for several months now in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso respectively, via a partnership with the social enterprise Viamo. Success is strong in Mali and Niger, and still modest in Burkina. In total, several million calls are received monthly.
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December 11, 2019
December 11, 2019
Categories

U.N. Madrid Climate Summit Ends in Failure

This week, the 25th Conference of Parties, or “COP25”, begins in Madrid. Until December 13th, the 196 State Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be discussing the challenges of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Their priority: find ways to reverse a greenhouse emissions curve that continues to rise.
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December 9, 2019
December 9, 2019
Categories

Studio Yafa organizes a training for 22 partner radios in Burkina Faso

Studio Yafa, the multimedia programme created by Fondation Hirondelle for Youth in Burkina Faso, organized a training course for 22 directors of partner radio stations. The training took place in Ouagadougou from 2 to 6 December. This workshop focused on the financial autonomy of radio stations and their security. The trainers were the President of UNALFA (Union Nationale de l'Audiovisuel Libre du Faso) and the Representative of Fondation Hirondelle in Burkina Faso, who supervises Studio Yafa.
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December 6, 2019
December 6, 2019
Categories

Journalism and religious extremism: can journalists help reduce political and religious violence?

March 2016 was a particularly deadly month, with attacks in Iraq, Tunisia, Turkey, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Belgium – in Asia, Africa and Europe.
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July 25, 2019
July 25, 2019
Categories

In the Central African Republic, the environment is threatened by Chinese mining operations

The population of Nola in Sangha-Mbaéré has difficulty working on the Kadéï, Mambéré and Sangha rivers. The exploitation of gold and diamonds by Chinese companies creates enormous ecological, economic and shipping problems. The local population is concerned.
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October 15, 2016
October 15, 2016
Categories

Innovations in environmental reporting: what we’re learning in Sierra Leone

Can micro-grants and mentorship improve reporting on climate change in Sierra Leone? This is a question Hirondelle set out to answer with the recent launch of a reporting platform and pilot grant program, Lost Freetown Collective.
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June 24, 2014
June 24, 2014
Categories

Studio Tamani, Islamic radicalism and Malian youth

Studio Tamani is a radio production studio created in 2013 by Fondation Hirondelle. It broadcasts three hours of news and programs each day, produced in Mali. We talked with Studio Tamani’s Head of Media Bernard Conchon about how the station covers Jihadist violence on a daily basis.
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Four Journalists, Four Stories, One Radio

Atem, Lucy, Gabriel and Shila are journalists working with Fondation Hirondelle in South Sudan. Here's what they think access to unbiased news has meant for them and the communities they report from.