Creation of a local community radio station: Radio Mutanga (Shabunda)

Description

The Shabunda region has been marked by armed conflict. The creation of a radio station is part of the process of reconstruction and reconciliation that began after the war. Giving a voice to people who have long been traumatised by dictatorship and violence makes this radio station a formidable tool for inner healing, reconciliation, peace, training and, above all, openness to the outside world. It also enables all sections of the population to take part in debates and contribute their ideas. In this landlocked area, with no easily accessible internet link or telephone facilities, radio is the communication tool par excellence for sending messages to people living in villages far from the centre of Shabunda.

Shabunda has no electricity, so the radio station runs on a generator fuelled by fuel. The purchase of fuel is financed by the ‘ Club des auditeurs’. In each neighbourhood, a member of the club sells time slots to broadcast messages on the radio. The funds raised are also used to pay the staff (journalists and operators). There is another listeners' club in Bukavu. It is responsible for collaboration between Radio Mutanga and Radio Okapi, on the one hand, and for collecting funds to run the radio in Shabunda, on the other.

16 permanent jobs created. The radio station operates independently. Collaborations have been established with Radio Okapi (provincial radio station) and the written press in Bukavu and Kinshasa.​

  • Agence Wallonie-Bruxelles Internationale
  • Commune de Ciney

​5.000 euros

​Realised

Alliance Kivu projects