[UgaBYTES] Are n't Internet cafes becoming a threat to telecentres?

[radioapac at iwayafrica.com]

Dear Polly,
Greetings, Africa has just recently ( about 15years)come out of the era of
government monopoly in radio/TV broadcasting where radio was used to
disseminate information on government sectors and political ideology. But
times have changed the custodians of information are no longer government
authorities but open society. However there are some governments and
persons in authorities who still believe they are th eowners of
communication to be used in their own interest. This was the same in
America, Europe and still is the situation in europe the balkans, and
latin america. However the comunity radio revolution started in latin
america where the mining communities were tired of the oppression they
suffering and came out to voice out their grieviences and thus the
beginning of community radio. This is also very strong in the United
States where issues of town hall or LC meetin gs as we call it in Uganda
were carried to the radios and the problem matters were followed up until
they were solved.

Our challenge as community radios in this era is to work at educating and
creating awareness with government central or local that our media is an
ally to development and requires their participation to propagate their
activities as well as provide information pertinent to the comunities
needs.

What we have done is to make sure that the station manager or someone of
that level is always interacting on a weekly basis. with central govt
representaive in our case the RDC, District Chairperson or elected leader
of the people, Head of piublic service in our case the CAO, and Civil
Society coordinator or project managers, and religious leaders. Also if
the manager is not trained in collecting data he can move with a reporter
who has a recorder as they visit these leaders and capture voice bytes to
play on their radio station during news or other program.
This is not too complicated. They will actually begin to call you and pick
you up to go with them whenever they have work to do in the field.
Therefore becoming a part of your programming. Reporters can also pick
news from remote areas as they move with these leaders.
Then they will invite you to their planning and budget meetings. or if you
go uninvited they will not chase you away. Expenses of collectinmg and
disseminating information will be budgeted for and the need for talk shows
will be included and budgeted for. Many times they do not pay because the
budget line for sensitization and awareness was not made.
During these meeting you will also realise that funds for say HIV aids
awareness is sent by a project say NUMAT in northern uganda but the
officials do not know how to use it that is when you advise some in
formation spots over two months and talk shows once a week involving th
eleaders and Health dept. They will take crediot for it and you will have
provide needed in formation for the community. This can be done for other
sectors as well. Meet with them in the planning meetings and get them to
budget for these programs in especially agriculture, education, health,
water and sanitation. Those always have funds. Civil society will not want
to be out competed so they will follow suit with their programs.
Try this for one year and i am sure you will be talking about excess
revenue to be invested in expansion, improvement, extension in telecentre
infrastructiure and activities.
Remember your mission and that it is a human right for people to
communicate and those who oppose this are violating human rights. once you
remind the big leaders of this they will not want to be seen as people
breaking human rights.

Good Luck.

Jimmy Okello.

> Our problems of political or government interference are mainly related to
> the
> community radio - some people don't like criticism, or even news items
> they
> don't agree with! The situation varies from district to district, often
> depending on the openness or otherwise of the local administrator or Party
> officials, but it can be complicated.
>
> Another problem telecentres have with government institutions is that they
> buy
> services on credit, using their power, and then don't pay!!
>
> Polly
>
> ----
>
> Polly Gaster
> TICs para Desenvolvimento/ICT4D
> Centro de Informatica da Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (CIUEM)
> Campus Universitario, Maputo, Mozambique
> e-mail: polly.gaster at uem.mz
> cel: +258-82-3264540
> tel/fax: +258-21-485779
> Skype: polly_gaster
>
>
> --
> This message has been scanned for viruses and
> dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
> believed to be clean.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> ugabytes mailing list
> ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> http://lists.ugabytes.org/mailman/listinfo/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.org
>