THE PROJECT
In July 2007 we will travel to Ethiopa in order to set up a free radio station for education, information and the spread of local culture. The radio station will be located at the Jimma University in Jimma (south-west Ethiopia). The programs will be filled by students and teachers from this University. Students from the Netherlands will come over to Ethiopia on a regular base and they will work together with the Ethiopian students in order to make good quality radio and stimulate intercultural understanding and cooperation.
WHY RADIO?
The choice for the usage of the medium radio is obvious since radio is the most important and far reaching mass medium in Ethiopia. It’s success can be attributed to the modern interpretation of the traditional oral culture. The reach of newspapers and magazines is particularly limited in Ethiopia because of the high percentage of illiteracy. Besides, radio is an easy and relatively cheap medium which can reach many people, whereas newspapers, in the second poorest country in the world, are hardly affordable.
WHY IN ETHIOPIA?
In the past the mass media have played a large role in reducing the
knowledge gap and improving the development of the democracy in Western European
countries. In Ethiopia radio can fulfil this function as well. Radio has been employed in different situations as a means to support education, information and the spread of local culture. We are striving to develop such an technique for the people of Ethiopia together with Ethiopians themselves.
WHAT’S THE AIM?
Our aim is to start a radio station in Jimma, the programs that it will contain have three important themes.
1. Education: certain subjects will be thought via the radio like: English language, world orientation, biology, etcetera. This is not only meant for children who can´t attend a school but also for adults who didn’t go to school and other curious people.
2. Information: the radio will be used to inform people about important issues like HIV/AIDS, hygiene, woman circumcision, food and health.
3. Local culture: a radio station also needs entertainment and identification for the public, in this part there will be space for music, stories, interviews and radio documentaries.
Another aim that the project strives for is to broaden the scope and from Dutch and Ethiopian students and let them learn from the cultural differences by working on a common goal: making high quality community radio in order to stimulate international cooperation, sustainable development and knowledge sharing
HOW DO WE REACH THE PEOPLE?
We want the radio to accessible for as many people as possible, including the poorest. Also, the programs must be open from input from outside, so that everybody gets a chance the be heard. In order to do this we wil:
• Supply Ethiopians who can’t afford a radio with free ‘lifeline windup radio’s’ (foto toevoegen)
• Make radio-programs in the local language
• Travel around to let people know about the radio station and give them the opportunity to participate in the radio-programs
• Make the radio-programs available on the internet
• Build a big transmitter and support transmitters in smaller communities
Learn more about us here
