The transistor radio is their only ear to the outside world. That's why it's important to develop the capacity of these small local and rural radio stations. In Africa you have to deal with a lot of different problems. You're dealing with countries that have different ethnic groups, which have been forced to live together through colonisation. There is often friction between these groups.
Rural radio works in different languages.
I think it's very important that radio producers learn how to handle sensitive issues. They have to learn to be objective when the topic concerns ethnic issues. We all live in one country and each person should respect another. In Africa, those values are not taken for granted like in Europe. Witness the existence of hate radio stations like RTV Mille Collines in Rwanda.