The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) over the weekend handed over an FM radio station, 93.8 Amadi FM to the community in Mundri West County of Western Equatoria State.
Amadi FM was established by the national civil society organization, Community Empowerment and Progress Organization (CEPO) with support from UNESCO in 2020.
“This radio was brought in 2020 by UNESCO, so on 1st October, they came and handed over the radio to the community. After the handover it is the community to take over and sustain the radio and to take care of the radio,” Amadi FM Station Manager Eluzai Billy Samsom told Radio Tamazuj on Monday. “There is a main studio, transmitter, for the production they brought 15 solar panels and eight batteries to run the radio station.”
Billy, however, called on the state government and partners to continue supporting the radio.
“For government, I don’t see direct support from either state or national government, since 2021 which is one year. I wrote a request to the office of the governor for support with at least a motorbike for the reporters to use for field work, but we are happy because he sent his delegate who announced the pledge from the governor, one Motorbike and 100,000 SSP and we thank him,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Board of Directors for Amadi FM Mr. Elinana Khamis said the community will also contribute to supporting the station in every way possible because information is important to the citizens in the area.
Amadi FM, the first radio station in the area, has a reach of 40 square kilometers and covers the three counties of Greater Amadi, Mundri East, Mundri West, and Mvolo.