Newsletters and Booklets
Practical Action
Real Life Story
Local Newsletter for Local Residents
In September 2001 the ‘Kitale’ newsletter was first published. This was a new newsletter
produced specifically for the residents of Kitale town in Western Kenya. The editor, Mr Otieno
Mboya explained the objectives of the newsletter in his first editorial, ‘ To keep residents of
Kitale informed about development activities in Kitale and the rest of the country and to
provide a forum for organisations and individuals to share experiences, exchange views and
up-date the community on their activities’.
Kitale is published 3 times a year, and has sections
which include local news, opinions from community
members and information on a variety of development
topics. The newsletter remains very popular amongst
residents, but the publishers, Kitale Municipal Council,
experience ongoing challenges. The financing of the
newsletter remains difficult: efforts to attract
advertisers have not proved very successful and a small
price to readers has to be charged. Members of the
editorial board have to offer their time voluntarily.
Collecting material for each issue of the newsletter is
also a challenge, although readers are always
encouraged to contribute, it can be difficult to get non-
literate members of the town to contribute.
Real life story courtesy of Practical Action East Africa
BP-PUP project
Further reading
March 2002 issue of ‘Kitale’
Storytelling Practical Action Technical Brief
Community/Street drama Practical Action Technical Brief
Exposure Visits Practical Action Technical Brief
Public Gatherings Practical Action Technical Brief
Information, Communication, Learning selection of Practical Action Technical Briefs
Using Existing Mass Media Practical Action Technical Brief
Podcasting: Recording and Using Local Voices for Knowledge Sharing Practical Action Brief
Practical Action
The Schumacher Centre
Bourton-on-Dunsmore
Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 9QZ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1926 634400
Fax: +44 (0)1926 634401
E-mail: inforserv@practicalaction.org.uk
Website: http://practicalaction.org/practicalanswers/
This document is based on the Micro Media Card Pack: A Tool Kit for Community
Development Workers produced by Practical Action in October 2003. Reproduced
as a Technical Brief in October 2007.
Practical Action is a development charity with a difference. We know the simplest ideas can have the
most profound, life-changing effect on poor people across the world. For over 40 years, we have been
working closely with some of the world’s poorest people - using simple technology to fight poverty and
transform their lives for the better. We currently work in 15 countries in Africa, South Asia and Latin
America.
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