The communities in Kuajiena Payam of Jur River County in Western Bahr el Ghazal State have received radio handsets to help them access the correct information regarding peacebuilding and conflict mitigation.
While distributing the radios over the weekend, the executive director of the Community Aid for Relief and Development Organization (CARDO), Orasio Opiyo, urged the people to use the radios as a tool for information and to mitigate conflict.
“In this second round of radio distribution, I want to emphasize that there were some groups with 30 members that received radios but the specific number needed to listen to one radio is 10. That is why we have come back today to give more radios to big groups,” he said. “Our objective is to enable you to listen to the program in a clear language because this will let you learn how to resolve issues. That is why it (radio) has a memory card that can be inserted and it has a pre-loaded program you can listen to instantly.”
“If you have a case like rape or a land dispute with someone, then you have to turn on the radio to understand that particular case so that you can solve the case accordingly,” Opiyo added.
The project under the theme “Access to Accurate Information Enhance Peacebuilding in Every Community” is supported by Shejah Salam, a USAID-funded peace program, and plans to distribute 240 radio sets to listening clubs in Jur River County, Wau County, and Wau municipality.
Meanwhile, the director general of the state peacebuilding ministry, Angelina Anthony Uku, said radio is important and provides an opportunity for the communities to participate in the peacebuilding process.
“Regarding peacebuilding, radio is one of the technologies that bring different information closer to the communities and provides them an opportunity to participate in live discussions,” said Uku.
On his part, Jur River County Commissioner Pasquale Madut Majok said the local authorities have prioritized peace and that the distribution of radios in the payam will be an added advantage.
“You, the community of Kuajiena, please do not take these radios and keep them in your houses but spare time as a group to benefit from this technology,” he advised. “It will enable us to build a positive mindset in taking our County forward peacefully.”
A representative of the listening groups, Joseph Uguak, thanked Shejah Salam for establishing grinding mill associations in three payams and providing them with radios that will contribute to peace in Jur River County.
In July 2022, CARDO distributed 380 radio sets to local communities in Wau and Jur River counties and five blocks of Wau Municipal Council.
The director general of the state information ministry, David John Jongo, urged CARDO and USAID to roll out the Shejah Salam program to Raja County.