Kwame Asiemoah

Voices of youth from Crossing Borders and Ghana Community Radio Network youth advocacy project

Kwame represents Radio DAYI-FM in the Volta Region. For Kwame a CR is system that is owned by the community and works for the progress of the community, using the CR as a sort of platform for development where people can come together.

Kwame's own way into CR work started with his mother, who together with the current Ghanaian ambassador to Germany, MP at the time, established what later became Radio DAYI-FM.
 
The point of departure was the need to do something for the poverty-stricken local areas, and for Kwame this is still the raison-d'être for many CRs. According to Kwame we need to help people understand that they can transform the place they live.

Personally Kwame is doing his Master degree in public health, and he definitely sees the potential for a CR to contribute to health promotion in local communities. CRs can help with capacity building and be sources of inspiration and education.
 
Currently Radio DAYI has 15 staff out of which 8 – 3 females and 5 males - are regular. Radio DAYI strives to go on-air every day and for many of the communities they serve, DAYI is the only source of mass media, as TV is not widespread. "People have battery radios and they bring us along to listen even while they are doing farm work", Kwame says confidently.

Radio DAYI listeners cut across age and gender groups as they have separate programs for children, for women and for men, and when they open up for people calling in, all kinds of people make use of the opportunity.

They attempt to mix their messages with Ghanaian music and having fun, so that when a serious issue is brought about, people are already ready to listen. In this way, controversial or sensitive issues such as child labour, corporal punishment in schools, hygiene and sanitation can be brought to the listeners' attention.
 
Kwame estimates that Radio DAYI has about 10.000 listeners or maybe a lot more. Recent primary elections is a good example where all those aspiring as candidates approached the radio to communicate their arguments, and the CR initiated debate among the candidates on issues like job creation and local resource management.

According to Kwame some of the parliamentarians even lost their seats because of what was revealed in the CR, so there is a great difference to make and a large role to play in democratization and educating from below.
 
In terms of education the CR plays a big role as there are relatively few who move on from primary to secondary since basic education is weak and does not qualify people to proceed in the educational system.

Some rural schools do not have simple things like chalk or windows. "If the CR goes into a community and uncovers such information, we are in a stronger position to lobby and advocate on behalf of the kids", Kwame explains.
 
Another example is that there is a lot of potential land or resources wasted because of lack of capacity or no funding or bank structure that can support local farmers. There are e.g. large fields of kaolin, that potentially could be used for construction and building material, but currently only is baked and sold for eating.
By putting focus on local conditions and challenges, DAYI can initiate a debate and create general awareness on relevant issues.
 
A CR has a key responsibility in identifying challenges, so "if we are scared of bringing out issues, we have no scope", Kwame states. According to him a CR must take the lead and be in the forefront of setting an agenda. Dreaming ahead Kwame imagines that in five years from now, and with the adequate funding available, DAYI can go far and transmit beyond the current range.

Kwame's take is that DAYI should be a catalyst of change and the CR that the community will cherish and would not want to lose. CRs have a huge potential to interact with the local communities and bring out information that otherwise will never be known.
 
One of the biggest threats that DAYI is facing is the general shortage of financial means, and currently they are in need of funds to relocate the station and to maintain daily services such as electricity and allowance to staff. Kwame suggests that more projects such as the CB project, are implemented as they are beneficial both to CRs and the community, as they can stimulate a development where people eventually are able to support themselves.

A mian preoccupation of the youth is to get enough education and job opportunities, to be able to provide for themselves and their families and live a healthy life.
 
Kwame is grateful for the opportunity to speak out on behalf of his CR and he would like to thank CB for investing in Ghanaian people's lives and passes on an open invitation to come and see the local CR work on the ground. 

Text by Runa Midtvåge