Burundian independent radio station Bonesha FM has launched a 45-day fundraising campaign as it struggles with financial difficulties threatening its ability to sustain operations.
The campaign, dubbed “I Support Bonesha Because I Have the Right to Information,” was officially launched on Friday, October 30, during a press conference in Bujumbura, the country’s economic capital.
Speaking at the event, Bonesha FM Director Léon Masengo called on listeners, supporters, Burundians living abroad, businesses and development partners to contribute towards keeping the radio station operational. The initiative aims to raise 500 million Burundian francs.
Masengo said the station continues to operate and serve its audience despite mounting financial constraints, but warned that the situation was becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
“We provide our listeners with various programmes and information that are important to their daily lives. But they also need to understand that the information they receive comes at a cost. Producing news requires considerable resources, and we are currently facing financial difficulties,” he said.
He added that the campaign would run for 45 days, during which the station plans to raise awareness about the importance of radio and encourage citizens who believe in its role to contribute to its survival.
“Since this radio station serves the people and works for the country, we thought it was important to launch this initiative and give it 45 days. We will use this period to explain the importance of radio and appeal to everyone who believes in the value of radio broadcasting to help Bonesha FM continue operating and improve its services,” Masengo said.
The director acknowledged that financial difficulties affect many media organisations across Burundi but said Bonesha FM had decided to break its silence and publicly address the challenges threatening its operations.
The fundraising initiative comes amid mounting financial and operational pressures across Burundi’s media industry, where both public and private outlets are struggling with rising operating costs, declining advertising revenues, fuel shortages, unreliable electricity and limited internet connectivity.
The difficulties have also affected journalists, many of whom face low salaries, delayed payments and increasingly precarious working conditions.
A media sector still struggling to recover from the 2015 crisis
The financial difficulties facing Bonesha FM come against the backdrop of a media industry that has yet to fully recover from the political crisis that erupted in Burundi in 2015.
The failed coup attempt in May that year was followed by a crackdown on independent media. Several radio stations including Bonesha FM were attacked, their equipment destroyed and their operations suspended.
The crisis forced dozens of journalists into exile, while others abandoned the profession amid threats, intimidation and deteriorating working conditions. Although some media outlets eventually resumed broadcasting, the sector emerged significantly weakened.
The political crisis also disrupted an important source of funding for Burundian media. Many independent outlets had relied heavily on financial support from international organisations and development partners. However, following the crisis, international assistance to Burundi was significantly reduced, affecting media organisations that depended on external funding to sustain their operations.
More than a decade later, the consequences remain visible. A weak advertising market, limited purchasing power and inadequate investment have made it increasingly difficult for local media houses to cover operational expenses, invest in equipment and provide journalists with decent working conditions.
These longstanding structural problems have been compounded by the country’s wider economic difficulties, including inflation, foreign currency shortages and recurring fuel, internet and electricity disruptions.
For independent media organisations, the challenge goes beyond keeping their studios running. Their financial vulnerability also raises questions about the sustainability of independent journalism and the public’s continued access to diverse and reliable information.
Bonesha FM’s fundraising campaign therefore highlights a broader challenge facing Burundi’s media landscape: how to ensure that independent media can survive financially and continue fulfilling their public-interest role in an increasingly difficult economic environment.
