Kampala In our last day of meetings, we wanted to make sure we had a way forward in Uganda, not only for potential organizing, but to begin the work with an initiative in community radio. The more we puzzled over the paths forward, choosing first one direction, and then another, and then both, we realized that despite believing earlier that the process might be quick, in reality it could take years to achieve, certainly one to three at the least. Even as we moved in these directions, I wanted to make sure the trip to Kampala had been worth the time and trouble for my colleagues as well as myself and our scarce resources.
Why not start with an internet radio station? At the least, a block of programming on acornradio.org, perhaps 10 to 16 hours on a weekend at the beginning to prepare for a launch of uganda acorn radio.
Looking at the population statistics for Uganda, we could almost see this relatively small country swelling before our eyes. The estimates showed more than forty-one million people in 2017, an over three million increase in one year, compared to the same amount over the previous five years. Internet penetration was estimated at over 31%, although these figures are notable for their hard rock boosterism. Under any terms with the right approaches, we would build listenership, and would do so nationally, even if our primary intentions were in Kampala and Arua in the northwestern part of the country.
Other research we uncovered, as we met on the patio of the Kampala Kolping Hotel, examined the state of community radio in the country. The authors argued that there was nominally a half-dozen, but in their report treated the efforts with skepticism. Most were in rural areas of the country. One of the larger was organized by women journalists and called MAMA. We couldn’t find a listing on their website or the governments on the power of their broadcast, but they claimed on their website that their signal could reach thirteen million people in a huge area covering most of the southern part of the country. Who knows? But at least we might not be alone.
Once I broached starting, even with this tentative first step, my colleagues responded enthusiastically. We made lists and workplans. We huddled over a computer, when we were able to get on the internet, and looked at equipment price lists and debated local purchase versus shipping overseas. We talked about the languages and content of programming. We covered any topic we could think of until the day was fading, buses and work were calling my friends, and my time was running out in Uganda.
I even found myself crawling around behind the hotel and measuring in my mind’s eye whether an antenna on top of this Catholic NGO’s hotel might be enough with some power to reach the slums spread out all around us.
From such small beginnings, we will see what we can make happen in the coming months and years.
