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Communication Centres Growing Up
The two communication centres supported by our project, which both opened their doors to the public during the month of March 2001 in Beira and Tete, have just carried out their own, initial internal evaluation of the first six month experimentation phase. While it is obvious that the equipment is being used and the local presence og the emerging independent print press has been strengthened, it is still obvious that additional training and strengthening of the sustainability systems is needed. An independent consultant has therefore been contracted to work with the centres during the month of December, to carry out an in-depth assessment of the strengths and the weaknesses of each of the two centres. This will be done through studies of the documentation available locally, through interview with management and users of the centres and of the associations running them. The final recommendations will be important for the further development of these two pilot centres already opened, and for the 2-5 centres planned to support the establishment of during phase II of the project. Initial assessments have already been carried out in Quelimane, Nampula and Lichinga, and further assessments are foreseen for Chimoio and Inhambane. By the end of phase II of the project (June 2004) it is hoped that the national network of communication centres will have strengthened not only the local presence of independent provincial news, but also a further dissemination of media from elsewhere in Mozambique, hereby furthering the general impact of the media.
Finally, finally the tax-exemption of the equipment for the eight community radio stations supported by our project has been secured, and the equipment for the three Wave I stations in Homoine, Chimoio and Cuamba is on its way by truch, ship and train. Cuamba’s equipment arrived in the port of Nacala on November 14 and is now waiting for the installation foreseen during the month of January. The team of installation technicians have, however, already arrived Chimoio, where the installation started on November 26. After some ten intensive days here, the team will move on to Homoine, where the installation is foreseen to be finalised before christmas. The five Wave II stations in Dondo, Milange, Metangula, Bagamoio and Boane will be installed during the months of February to May 2002. All eight stations have had the foundations for the transmission towers as well as the thorough earthing to prevent against problems due to lightening, have been prepared during the months of September, October and November in preparation of arrival of the equipment.
In order to further enhance longterm technical sustainability of the stations, tailormade technical manuals have been developed by the equipment supplier and translated by the project. These have been sent to the stations, and will form the basis for the radio staff and volunteers, when the suppliers will carry out their on-site training in the use and preventive maintenance of the equipment.
The seven community radio process coaches working with our partner communities presently, met in Quelimane in October to evaluate the level of development of their community groups, counting between 20 and 90 volunteers locally ready to start being at the core of the radio programme production. While most communities have carried out their audience research and prepared an initial programme format, there is still a lot of work left to ensure the effective transmission of the research into programme planning. Stressing the importance of the up-coming phase of the going on air, the coaches will have an added number of functions during this period. The project as such foresees to ensure full time coaches at the stations during the first weeks of experimental programming.
The Management Committess of the last three communities to receive provincial approval and clearance of their community associations (Dondo, Milange and Metangula), met in Maputo in November for a two-day management workshop. While the workshop introduced the new members of the management committees to the basic concepts of what a community radio is, it also presented the administrative and financial management systems needed to be put in place. All along it was stressed that these committees are at the core of the management of the stations: they will hire staff and contract volunteers to do the daily work. But the overall editorial and management responsibility rests with the management committees. Due to a reorganisation of the management structure in Cuamba: election of a new management committee and hiring a group of new staff members, their management committee was invited to take part in the above mentioned workshop. In order to prepare for going on air, an increasing number of study
trips have taken place during the past months for volunteers and
mobilisers of the community radio groups. Besides from gaining an
increased insight into the day-to-day functionality of a station on air,
the future programmers also have a possibílity to get to know new
colleagues and extend their own personal and professional contact
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