By Sariba Manneh
With funding from UNICEF, the Kuntaur Area Council (KAC) in Central River Region (CRR) North has recently inaugurated a community radio station for the region.
This is the first radio station of its kind in the area, and the Council owns the media facility as a tool to educate, inform, and entertain the people of the region, particularly children, youth and women. The media facility is also meant to promote development initiatives and child rights issues within the area.
The above development came following a request for support made by the Council to UNICEF, regarding a community radio.
In her statement, Nafisa Binte Shafique, the UNICEF country representative who spoke at the opening ceremony, said it would be of immense value if good corporate governance, accountability measures, sustainability plans, and Child Rights and adolescents’ programs were built into the structure so that the radio became a truly community-led and owned investment.
“UNICEF envisages a return on investment through increased awareness, understanding and observance of child rights in the community; increased enrolment, retention completion of School especially by the girl child; reduction of child and maternal morbidity and mortality; access to water, sanitation, and hygiene; elimination of harmful practices and violence against children, among others,” she said.
“We believe that the radio station as a critical partner in development will complement advocacy efforts on child rights through regular and strong programs as information is power,” she emphasised.
Ousman Bah, the governor of CRR, said his region remains a crucial region in the country’s development priority, and thanked UNICEF for its continuous commitment, interest, and interventions in supporting the children of this country concerning child rights as enshrined in the provisions of the Children’s Act of The Gambia.
“It is no doubt that this community radio will play an integral role in both the promotion and actualization of child rights and will contribute to a wider scope of social and economic outcomes,” he said.
On his part, UNICEF’s MICS reporter highlighted the relevant indicators relating to children’s rights, welfare and development.
According to him, CRR North is mainly in need of development investment according to most of these indicators, to help reduce the current existing gaps as compared to other parts of the country.
Saihou Jawara, the Chairperson of KAC, spoke at length on the significance of the community radio station for the region.
Chairperson Jawara assured of his Council’s support and guidance in their quest to make the radio station the best in the country. The Kuntuar Community radio, he continued would be overseen by a management committee that would manage and coordinate the activities of the station.
“The radio programs that will be developed will have a significant role in promoting child rights, enhancing social accountability, development of public sector interactions, awareness raising, social and behavioral change communications, and gender transformative actions,” he said.
Ebrima Sisawo, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Lands and Local Government, urged the management of the radio station to be mindful of the content they air for their audience.
“The programs should be child and community-friendly and the radio station should be treated like everyone’s own to ensure its sustainability,” he advised.
