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| Some employees of Radio Moa |
Local Radio MOA FM started as a project of the SFG or Talking Drum Studio in sierra Leone. Today it is now a community radio station in Kailahun District. The radio serves all of Kailahun district and it is hoped will become a participatory media in the local government area. Foday Sajima, a local journalist who worked in the area now leads a team of local journalists and volunteers to broadcast district-wide. When the IEC team paid a visit to Kailahun Town and District recently they took part in a monthly meeting of the local council.
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| The Station claims it speaks for the Voiceless |
This visit put Radio Moa in the spotlight as well as its listeners. During the local council meeting Oxfam requested the Kailahun local council for support to make the next day, a last saturday as cleaning day in Kailahun District. People took part in a cleaning exercise in Kailahun which was also promoted on Radio Moa.
The IEC led a local radio discussion programme which went out live on air. It brought together local people and local councillors into the studio. The panellists on radio went on to inform their listeners about the monthly council meetings.
Three Local Councillors took part in the radio programme.
The Panel discussion presented the issues of revenue mobilisation and local chiefdom receipts and their contributions or payments into the local Council’s funds.
The Radio panel discussion was followed by a half-hour long phone-in programme. This was interactive and many questions challenged and named Chiefdoms who had already paid their receipts and urged those other Chiefdoms who have not paid, to pay up in time.
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| Vandy 'BAKA' Salia's Music protege found in Kailahun recently |
The IEC team spoke with the Station Manager Foday Sajima. Radio Moa’s phone-in demonstrated very keen listeners. There was great interest to talk to the elected councillors. The Community radio for the first time went on to present the local councillors defending their decisions to the general public through a phone in.
On the Saturday, local musician Vandy BAKA (accordion) came out early in the morning on cleaning day with all his musical expertise. He entertained all who passed by and played on to many in kailahun town. However Radio Moa was silent at that time, they did not seem to play much of Vandy’s unique brand of music until late in the evening.
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| Everyone in Kailahun listen to the station including school children |
A black pot was found by local builders somewhere on the site of Station. It has now become a symbol of the Radio Moa. Local journalists believe the black pot may have been buried in the Kailahun Hills.
Now however there is a lovely flowering plant flourishing around the Black Pot. The Community of Radio Moa listeners and local journalists now speak about local government and perhaps will challenge the councils’ local service delivery. The plant is growing in strength.
