By Lamin Njie
The United Nations Children’s Fund- UNICEF, has provided funding through the Department of Community Development for the establishment of the first-ever community FM Radio Station since independence for the people of the Central River Region- North.
The radio station, which is built in Wassu, will open anytime from now.
The only thing remaining for the radio to hit the airwaves is the license from PURA and the setting up of a management committee which shall comprise a representative from all walks of life in the region that will look into the day-to-day running of the radio station.
Last week, the Department of Community Development, UNICEF, and the Kuntaur Area Council held a series of engagements with communities within the region to see how best the radio would run and trash out any pending issues.
Speaking at the Kuntaur Area Council grounds, Fatou Gibba, Director of Community Development, called on the people of the region to take proper care of the radio station and see it as their own.
She commended UNICEF for providing the funds describing it as a great step toward the advancement of the people of the region and the Gambia as a whole.
“The radio will close that dark chapter where the people of the region find it difficult to access information as there was never a radio station in CRR-North,” she said.
Director Gibba also thanked the government for creating the enabling environment for the establishment of the radio station.
Momodou Sambou, Chief Executive Officer, of Kuntaur Area Council, described the establishment of the radio station in his region as historic.
“The people of this region used to suffer a lot in terms of getting reliable information regarding our welfare as there was no radio station here since time immemorial. Sometimes our people used to travel to Bansang, Brikamaba, and Senegal community radio stations to make important announcements. All this will soon come to pass,” he said.
CEO Sambou also thanked UNICEF through the Department of Community Development for providing the much-needed funds for the establishment of the radio.
He promised that the radio would serve the purpose it was built for and that any revenue generated by the radio would be plowed back into the development of CRR-North.
Momat Jallow, Social and Behavior Change Officer, at UNICEF, said the radio is expected to help children and women, especially with issues that normally affect their rights and other related things.
He also used the opportunity to call on the people of CRR-North to make the best use of the radio, by airing programs that are relevant to the people of the region and the country as a whole.
Similar remarks were made by Gibi Bah, Deputy Director, and Kajali Kanyi, Program Officer of Community Development, and Ousainou Sarr of UNICEF, respectively.