Today was a good day. It was finally time to go to Chamgiwadu, the community we are setting up a community radio station in and have been thinking about for 4 months. It took a little while to get there as we had to wait for a bigger bus to arrive, but it meant we had time to sort out some of audio equipment and decide what we wanted to use. After another great lunch and a scenic drive we arrived at the village. The plan was for 3 social workers to give a talk on some of the issues in the community and how radio would help solve them, so we had to document it through video, photography and audio. We had to move rooms initially as it was too echoey, so we moved into a larger hall and started to set up the cameras.

The process was a little challenging, with the set up of the room and it’s lighting. We are still getting used to working with each other and the equipment so there was a lot of differing opinions on angles and settings, but this is what working with others is all about and I think we are satisfied with the result.

The talk itself was incredibly insightful and inspiring, hearing about all the issues surrounding FGM and violence against women and children and how these women plan to address them with community radio. One thing that stuck with me was that without the knowledge, people don’t know their own rights so don’t actually know that they shouldn’t have to be put through violence. This is something I think community radio could really help start conversations about.

After the talk finished and questions were asked, we packed up and hung out outside for a bit and took photos. We went back to the university and had some more great fried fish. Back at the hotel we played a game and had a beer to unwind. Tomorrow we are back to Chamgiwadu to meet the Chief and meet some more community members.