Community radio assumes higher profile

Representatives of LIVE FM (Rehoboth), KARAS FM (Keetmanshoop), BASE FM (Windhoek), Ohangwena Community Radio (Eenhana) and Ounoungo Technical Centre (Gobabis) signed an agreement with the EU Delegation to Namibia for considerable funding to provide training for better efficiency and outreach.
The project involves a comprehensive training and support programme for Namibia´s community media, to establish weekly debate programmes and strengthen the coverage of political and human rights issues. “We can´t wait to get started with the training,” said BASE FM´s station manager, Marco Ndlovu, “but getting the planning right is crucial and this week´s get-together was an important opportunity to provide our input on project design and organisation.”

The EU Delegation to Namibia is providing almost N$3 million in funding for the 18-month project, which is called “Community Voices, while NamRights and DW Akademie, the media development organisation of Germany´s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, are in charge of implementation. During the Windhoek meeting, LIVE FM, KARAS FM, BASE FM, Ohangwena Community Radio and Ounongo Technical Centre (OTC) signed partnership agreements with DW Akademie.  The group welcomed OTC in Gobabis as a new project partner. In the absence of a community radio station in the Omaheke region, OTC plays a significant role in disseminating information to local residents.  “After our formal project launch in November, we are now underway,” said NamRights founder and executive director Phil ya Nangoloh. “We had a very constructive two-day planning session, bouncing ideas around, exchanging views and taking decisions, and we now have a clearer vision of the way forward.”