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Dreaming of Radio
Service announcements about load shedding, vaccination dates and the water supply. Exposure of traditional customs and songs. Warnings of floods and educational radio programs. Unity to the community. The wishes for what the new radio in Itezhi-tezhi in Zambia will do, once it starts broadcasting are many. But now the building is about to be finished.
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18. July 2008
The board members of the radio believe that the original plans for the construction of the radio perhaps underestimated the amount of time and money that needed to be spent. But now they are back on track. And despite constructional difficulties like pieces that don't quite fit in size and changes to the previous roof plans, the radio construction is progressing. It is expected to be finished by September this year.
How radio helps
Itezhi-tezhi experienced a lot of flooding this year. Large valleys were under water. This is one of the things the radio could warn people about in time. “Sometimes during the rainy season the district becomes cut of to the extent that it gets difficult to inform people what is happening,” says acting Council Secretary and board member of the radio, Mr. Cheembo. He for one is very much looking forward to increased communication opportunities in the district. As are the other board members. “It will be a central place for people to come and share their ideas; people from all kinds of different backgrounds. That will bring about unity and bring development to this district,” thinks Reverend Sinkonde.
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Some of the members of the community radio board. Left to right: Mr. Cheembo who is acting council secretary, Reverend Sikonde, local shopmanager Mr. Chipasa, Mr. Mbuto, resident engineer for Zesco, chairman and retired teacher Mr. Chiwela and village headman Mr. Kasama.
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The community radio association board is run by democratically elected members. Presently there are 10. They have overseen the community mobilisation process, the selection of 13 community level journalists and the construction of radio stations. And now they are finally much closer to the goal of broadcasting the first programs. “The national radio doesn't cover our a area, so this will be our first opportunity ever to communicate with the people”, says Mr. Cheembo. The radio will have a broadcast network that covers 120 km. That will be enough to reach the entire district. But the plans don't stop there. “We are coming up with an internet café that will open up the district to the international world,” explains Mr. Mbuto.
The establishment of Itezhi Tezhi Community radio station is part of the Danida funded Media Programme for Zambia, Phase 3. Panos southern Africa is the leading agency responsible for the overall implementation of the national media project. Since mid 2007, Panos has worked collaboratively with MS-Zambia and communities in both ITT and Kasempa districts to establish radio stations. In Kasempa, construction of the station has started while the installation of equipment and test broadcasting is expected to be completed before the end of October 2008. The overall objective is to contribute to the development of professional, free and independent media, in particular at community level.
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Building for the community
The new radio building is designed with all these things in mind. It is spacious and strategically well placed between the two separate parts of town.The building will hold two radio studios, one for broadcasting and one for recording, but also rooms meant for public use. “This is going to be a library, where everybody can gather to read about health and agriculture and laws and much more,” explains radio board member Mr. Chiwela, as he stands in a room that presently holds a stock of building materials, tools and abandoned workclothes.
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Norman Rigava, the MS-advisor on the radio projects, thinks the radio is on track: “Since radio has traditionally been “a voice of authority”, there is need to continuously raise awareness, demystify radio, as well as provide critical information to communities in the two districts to ensure that they really own and use the radio stations as platforms to share information, debate and support local democracy and development to define their destiny,” he says.
The dream of a radio to serve the community is certainly very much present in Itezhi-tezhi.
