THE INTERNSHIP REPORT FROM RADIO ADA IN GHANA, WEST AFRICA

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Introduction

1. Information about Ada Community Radio

          a. Location

          b. Radio Ada

          c. Objectives

          d. Programming

          e. The Station and the Hubs

          f. Staff and Management

          g. Finance

          h. Audience and Catchment area

2.  International Symposium

3. The Experience I gained from the Internship

          a. The tour of listening communities

          b. Participation in the station activities

          c. Programmes produced

          d. The things gained which will be helpful

4. Creative aspects and challenges of the station

          a. Interesting aspects of the station toward creativity

          b. Difficulties and principal of the station

          c. Suggestion to improve the radio station

          d. Suggestion to improve the course at CICS

Concluding Remarks

 

 

REPORT ON INTERNSHIP AT ADA COMMUNITY RADIO, GHANA,

FROM 2nd AUGUST TO 16th SEPTEMBER 2003

 

Introduction

 

This report covers the one month and a half of my internship spent at Ada Community Radio in Ghana in August/September 2003.  The report is divided  into four parts: The first one gives insight information about the station, its objectives, history, administration, finances, audience, and programming. The second tells about my participation in the Symposium workshop organized by Ghana Community Radio Network,  “Creating and Enabling Environment  of Community Radio”. The third part describes what I gained from the internship experience, the work done during the internship and my involvement in the day-to -day activities of the station. The programs produced will be listed later.  In the fourth we will look on the challenges the radio is facing, and suggestions are given on how to improve the station and the Course at CICS.  I arrived in Accra on  2nd August 2003. Three days later with other participants of the Symposium I boarded a bus to Big Ada, which is in Greater Accra Region. Ms Wilna and Alex Quarmyne the founders of the Ada Community Radio welcomed me and introduced me to the station manager Mr Kofi Larweh, who conducted the station orientation tour. He introduced me to the staff members and volunteers. I participated in the station activities from 9:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m from Monday to Saturday. The place where I lived was about two kilometers from the radio station. The station manager provided food.  I paid for my lodging.  In a special way I want to thank all those who have made it possible for me to do my internship in ADA Community Radio: I thank my Professor Rev. Fr. Robert White S.J.,  Co-ordinator of Internship, who decided to leave other pressing issues in Accra to come to visit me in Big Ada and who also wrote to Wilna and Alex Quarmyne about my course; the station manager Mr.Kofi Larweh with whom we have deepened our understanding of community radio, and its friendly atmosphere, kindly sharing  his experience with us. He took time to take me into the distant catchment area to visit the listening communities; Ms Erica who taught me  how to prepare, record, edit and broadcast programmes; Mrs.  Larweh who always asked me what I wanted to eat and for her good cooking. Also in a special way I want to thank the Superior General of the Society of the Divine Saviour and its Generalate for meeting the travel expenses of my journey, for their help in making my trip a success. I was encouraged by their support and I was able to feel at home in a foreign country.

 

1. Information about Ada Community Radio

a. Location

The studios of Ada Community Radio are situated at Testonya Village in Big Ada, Greater Accra Region. It is in the eastern part of Ghana. It is the first Community radio in Ghana. It is housed in  seven rooms: newsroom, two recording studios, and on-air studio, three offices. Ada Community radio is part of Ghana Community Broadcasting Service.

 

b. Radio Ada is the Community radio station of the Dagme-speaking people. It is not-for-profit, non-partisan and non sectarian.

Listening Community comprises six traditional Dagme-speaking areas - Ada, Klo, Se, Ningo, Prampram and Osuduku (Dagme East, Dagme West, Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo District).

Language: Exclusively Dagme (in all its spoken forms - Ada, Gbugla, Klo, Kpone, Ningo and Se)

Frequency: 93.3 fm - Broadcast hours: 5:00 a.m. - 10: 00 p.m. daily (17 hours seven days a week)

Philosophy: Community-driven, culturally-rooted participatory  development.

 

c. Objectives

·        To support the development aspirations and objectives of the Dagme people in every sphere of life.

·        To give a voice to the voiceless in every context and at all levels in Dagme society.

·        To sustain the dynamic growth of Dagme culture within the national and global family.

·        In all this, to encourage, promote and contribute to informed dialogue and responsible action within the Dagme Community

·        To encourage, promote and contribute to the creation and development of community radio throughout Ghana and elsewhere.

The objectives of Radio Ada reflect the most cherished values of the Dagme community. They evolved out of community research prior to the start of broadcast on 1st February 1998. Now five years later, the objectives continue to be valid. Indeed, they have become more real, more concrete and more far -reaching in implementation.

 

d. Programming: It was originated entirely by Radio Ada, covering the full range of programme formats. Firm favourites among its listening community include: Amanie - daily news bulletins that feature community news; Motu Kwala - a daily, 110-minutes news magazine "designed to bring the world into the village";  Jemi ba mi - a weekly drama based on living situations from the villages; Waa wo ga - an advice programme that draws heavily on community norms, and Do wo tso - traditional music spontaneously sung and performed by groups throughout the village of the listening community. A premium is put on weekly "narrowcast" programmes that are produced with participation, and indeed under the direction of,  various occupational and other group in the listening community.

The programmes last 30 minutes and have a ratio of speech combining with current affairs 50%,  Music and Dagme music 50%. The plan is underway to have more speech than music and to have more Dagme music than others, with advertisements not having more than  five minutes

 Radio Ada has 60 volunteers from different listening communities in Dagme East - Dagme West District.

 

e. Location

A purpose-built station based at the village of Testsonya, in Big Ada. Hub offices - one currently operating in Odumase, three more to be set by September 2003 in Dodowa, Somanya and Sege. Mini-hubs Asustsuare, Asesewa, Agogo and Kaseh, with focal points in Akuse, Sekesua, Nkurakan, Kpong, Ningo-Prampram and Old Ningo. The main function of the hubs, mini-hubs and focal points is to facilitate the production of participatory programmes and community-based news.

 

f. Staff and Management: The are drawn from the listening communities All are volunteers, with some full-time workers drawing minimal stipends. All are trained through the station home-grown workshops and abroad.

The management board of Radio Ada is made up of nine members, seven are regular member and it has full-time employees

·        Three in the Newsroom

·        Two Technicians

·        six from the hubs

The staff also includes:

·        Front desk who collects the adverts, messages, music requests

·        Driver who drives the volunteers to a distant community for interview or workshops or other duties assigned to him by the station manager.

·        Cleaner

·        Watchmen.

The highest paid person earns 70$ per month and the lowest 30$ per month. Also they are paying tax VAT

 

g. Finance:

The income for the station comes from;

·        The adverts, music requests, messages, birthday wishes, social announcements, billboard for small businessmen combined together talking about their activities. The fee which is paid is too low. Plan are under way to increase the fee for  advertising.

Other sources are  the International organizations like CAFSCO from the Netherlands and IBIS, an NGO from Denmark working in Ghana sponsoring the training of volunteers and the participation of women in local government. Through the Ghana Communication Broadcasting Service, of which Wilna and Alex Quarmyne are co – directors,  Radio Ada has more contact with other donors. There are contributions from listening communities themselves through fund raising, as the radio has become part of their life.

 

h. Audience and catchment area

Ada Community Radio has an audience range of nearly 600,000 in both Dagme East and Dagme West. It also is heard in some parts of the capital city Accra Its effective range is 100 km radius, and it transmits on one frequency 93.3 FM broadcasting on its own transmitter of 1Kw or 1000 wts. But sometimes the frequency can change depending on where you are.

 

2.  International Symposium

For three days from 5th to 7th August I participated in an International Symposium on Creating Enabling Environment for Community Radio, which was sponsored by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) with the collaboration of PANOS West Africa (PIWA).

Among the  many delegates there were some from;

·        Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone.

·        Representative from Panos - West Africa Mr Johan Deflander

·        Programme Officer for Africa desk from CAFSCO, a funding organisation from Holland, Ms Brigitte Sinn.

·        Representative from AMARC Ms Shingai Nyoka - South Africa.

The presentation which was put on the floor by Wilna Quarmyne was “What is Community Radio and what it is not". She defined it as "Community radio is a different kind of radio. It is radio, for, about, by and of the community. It is non-profit, it is driven by a participatory development philosophy and agenda, and it is operated and managed by its listening community. It promotes and sustains dialogue and has a special concern to give voice to the experiences, concerns and aspirations of the voiceless and marginalised.”

Community radio is recognised as the third sector of broadcasting (the other two sectors being public and commercial broadcasting) by the African Charter of Broadcasting, which was adopted in Windhoek in 2001 and subsequently  endorsed by the African Union.

It came to light at the symposium that many delegates didn't know what community radio is. In Sierra Leone community radio started from "Chaos" because of a civil war! In Liberia the former President Charles Taylor used the community radio for his personal goal. In Nigeria there is no legal framework for community radio.

The Symposium objective was to enhance participants’ mutual understanding of participatory development.

 

3. The experience I gained from the internship

 

a. The tour of listening communities

On 14th  August 2003, I had a meeting with the station manager which took place in his office, to plan my day to day activities at the station. On the same day we left to visit the listening communities in Dodowa and Somanya where radio Ada has a hub. This for me was a wonderful experience and a good way to know the audience. Every- where we went the station manager was known for his programme Motu Kwala.  In him I have discovered extraordinary ability,  as a man of the people ready to be with them in their own environment, and besides all to do so humbly.

Wherever I went people were very kind and friendly although I don't speak their language Dagme. We communicated in English. This gave  me a glimpse of the people themselves.

 

b. Participation in the station activities

The station manager assigned Ms Erica to assist me in the handling of the equipment in the recording and broadcasting studios. During my time spent there  I learnt how to record and to edit, using Mini discs, using the analogic system there they don't have the digital system yet.

From that brief introduction I stated to produce internal programmes. I had access to machines and computer in the studio. I used my own mini-disc for the interviews. My main concern was women, especially those marginalised in their own communities, on how they participate in decision-making.

 Dagme language was a big barrier for me to produce live broadcasting, because the station uses only the Dagme language which is the local language for its broadcasting.

I had a chance to participate in many of the activities of the station and to see how it is run. There was no homesickness, because everyone treated me like part of staff; besides this they felt that they had been honoured for my coming to work with them.  The following are the  areas in which I participated:

1. Three days of an International Symposium on "creating and enabling environment for the development and sustenance  of Community Radio,  from 5th  - 7th  August 2003 (Radio Ada)

2. Applying issues raised at the Symposium - The way forward for Ghana & Anglophone West Africa (8th - 9th  August). Specific activities to be initiated (at Radio Ada)

3. Two days analysis workshop in Accra at Ghana Community Radio Network office on Community Participation in Local Governance Project - being undertaken by three GCRN member stations Radio Ada, Winneba & Radio Wa. (12th  & 13th  August).

4. 14th  August.  Visit to Hubs Somanya and Dodowa for Adminstration Program.

5. Two days for FGD organisation for Government program review (18th - 19th August).

6. Wokumagber - Community visit of the coastal area. We reported of the killed Whale laying on the beach, rotting. The government media didn't report this incident. The listening community phoned Radio Ada to come and report - Here I have learnt about the sense of trust between the community and the radio.

7. One week field work with focus group discussions (FGD). (20-25th August 03).  Interviewed four groups of key informants, the elders, the women, the young people and men.

8. From 27/08/03 - 03/09/03 Hands-on equipment training and research into participatory theories. Reflect: Mother Manual Organisation Development, being used by IBIS. (REFLECT means Regenerated Freirean Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques).

9. One day Management meeting with Executive Directors Wilna & Alex Quarmyne. a quarterly review meeting of programmes (6th September).

10. Meeting of the local management chaired by the station co-ordinator Mr Kofi on 10th Sept 03.

With this a new friendship was deepened, a passion for community radio was strengthened, a new way to work together had become manifest.

 

c. Programmes produced

During my time spent of one month and a half I was able to prepare, record, edit various programmes which included: interview with fishmongers, Sunday Liturgy, information/education, preparation of advertisement spot, women empowerment. Some of these programme were translated from English into the Dagme language. Ms Erica helped me very much, because of her experience and contact with the fishmonger.

All this was made possible with the assistance of station coordinator Mr. Kofi Larweh who is the structure administrator of operations and Ms. Erica who she is information gatherer. Both of them they have been helpful and generous in sharing their experience with me.

 

d. The things gained which will be helpful in my future work

·        Working single-handed in the production of programmes has enhanced my ability to master the equipment and also it has helped me to understand the structure of the community radio

·        The contribution and participation of volunteers are the heart of the community radio;

·        To be a station coordinator first you must have the vision of  society,  on how the society can look into future and to guide the station ethically;

·        I have experienced a good team work between volunteers; the core is to love the people  which radio is serving.

·        The hub concept was new to me, which I will encourage in my future work

·        A community radio must represent all genders; programmes must be community oriented.

·        Community radio can be part of solving conflict and problems.

·        The working relationship with the Assemblyman, who represents the area with the government.

·        I learned  to be creative in innovation of the radio station programmes and to be ready at any time to go for news.

·        Most of all I learned to respect and love people with their different cultural differences and opinions.

  

4.  Creative aspects and challenges of the station

 

a.  Interesting aspects of the station toward creativity

·        The radio has convinced the listening community that it is their radio. The programmes touch their daily lives. Volunteers have enthusiasm and spirit to work with the radio.

·        Women’s participation involved in radio programming is well represented. Also there are present in the management of the station

·        The radio offers in-station training for volunteers. The station also organises for volunteers workshops on participatory method on development. Besides being only  volunteers for the radio programming, they also organise discussion on development on village level. The station manager himself is employed by Ghana Adult Education Scheme, so he brings to the radio his profession.

·        To be a volunteer  is not easy because it is time-consuming and without pay. It is interesting to see them more energized and convinced for the work of the radio.

·        Ada Community Radio articulates community-oriented issues which affect people's lives. News annoucements concerning the community are communicated. Like the case of cattle rustlers, the villagers stopped us on the road to our station, to air the problem so that other villagers might know what was happening. Why they didn't report to the police? Because they trusted their radio.

 

b. Difficulties and principal  problems of the station

Ø    Training: Many trained presenter and technicians are poached by commercial radios in Accra.

Ø    Financial constraints:

The station relies on advertisements, donations, membership and sponsorship. Some hubs staff embezzled the money to pay for their salaries, without notifying the station-coordinator

Ø    Lack of Journalistic Ethic:

Many volunteers don’t know the journalistic ethics, what they are obliged to observe in their conduct. One person went on-air without the knowledge of the station coordinator, who didn’t even know he was a volunteer.

Ø    Newsgatherings: To get news, the station depends on newspapers, other radio stations and television, and local news collection by volunteers. It doesn’t have E-mail and Internet.

Ø    Music archive problem:

There is no accountability procedure for producers when they take cds, or tapes. This has led to a big loss of the station music archives.

 

c. Suggestions to improve the radio station

Ø    It might be good to strengthen the marketing department, that it can be able find more advertisements to sustain the radio. Also it may look for personel skilled in producing good advertisements and promotion.

Ø    The training may include also moral conduct (Ethics)

Ø    On the station sustainability, the station may start to think more on income-generating projects, for example recording and selling music.

d. Suggestions to improve the course at CICS

My experience with Ada Community Radio has enriched me. It showed me that there is a need for the student to be exposed to many different areas of radio  development and technology.

Although I had some experience with the Vatican Radio which uses the Digital System, there I was using the Analogic system (TASCAM -MD-301 MK ll). Even in our lab at the Gregorian University we have a Digital System. Students must be introduced to both of them, to be able to handle them.

I was happy to do my internship in an African country that has helped me to know more about Africa itself, on how a community radio can have an impact on Africans’ lives. Students at CICS specialising in radio and development (especially community radio) should be encouraged to do their internship in Africa, because it is their own environment. This does not exclude their doing an internship elsewhere in the world.

Ada Community Radio does not use English in its programmes, it uses the Dagme language. But I was able to produce internal programmes in English. At the station I  found that people were shy at the beginning,  thinking that I know more then they which was not true, they knew more than I. 

 

Concluding Remarks

During my time spent at Ada Community Radio, my main interest was in producing programmes. That's why I have spent my time on recording, editing, and broadcasting internal programmes and also I was able to record in the Swahili language the  Echo of the African Synod for listerners of Vatican Radio in East Africa. But as language became the big barrier, I have also spent more time in workshops and visiting listening communities.

I am very grateful to the station coordinator and volunteers I have met for their cooperation and the love they have given me, helping me to discover the role of community radio in transforming the people's lives. The simplicity and openness in the community have changed my life and they have taught me to live more simply and humbly. 

Through their lives they  reminded me of my people back home in Tanzania. The many good examples I have learnt during this internship will be memorable and of a great help for my future work with the marginalised.

At last the time came for me to leave Ghana.  As the plane left the ground and the clouds gradually shrouded the beautiful Ghana countryside I looked down and said spontaneously.   "Thank you, the people of Ghana".

 

By Br. Edwin Mpokasye, SDS