Re-engaging in Congo (DRC)

In mid-July, Johnny and I set off to visit Nobili, DRC, via Uganda. Its been 5 years since anyone from Amplifying Voices last visited this beautiful, yet troubled region. We look ahead at what it means to be re-engaging in Congo, while reflecting on this resilient station’s role in supporting its community through recent crises.

Umoja FM broadcasts in the midst of Virunga national park

“Umoja” means unity, and in the years since we helped set the station up in 2016, the wonderful team that runs Umoja FM have been a constant voice of hope and peace, throughout conflict, the ebola crisis, the pandemic and a refugee crisis.

These events were also a barrrier, preventing us visiting the project. While we have been in regular touch with the team through WhatsApp and helped replace key pieces of equipment, nothing helps strengthen relationship than being together. In an evaluation last year we heard from community members about the value of Umoja FM during some very tough times. This trip gives us the opportunity to meet some of these people, as well as the voices that make Umoja FM what it is, and hear their stories in person.

For our part, we have been asked to provide refresher training for the team members. After so many years, our own team has changed – this will be Johnny’s first visit to Nobili. The Umoja team has changed too. Some people that I trained previously have moved on and there are several new team members. As the community faces upcoming elections, reliable, trustworthy and transparent dialogue within and between communities becomes all the more essential for peace, so this is our training emphasis, with workshops focusing on conflict-sensitive journalism and responsible election coverage.

We also hope to move forward with the important work of planning a relay station to Kikingi. The village is located in the Virunga National Park which is heavily forested and there is a mountain which prevents Kikingi’s residents from receiving the Umoja FM signal. The village has no roads or electricity. The community feels marginalised and has been under constant threat of attack from armed groups hiding in the national park. Kikingi community found a place just outside the village where a weak radio signal can be heard, and they set up a hut for listener groups. However, they have continually sought a better solution so Kikingi villagers can hear the Umoja FM broadcasts in their homes or workplaces. In principle, a station relay should be quite straightforward to set up. However in this remote and difficult to access location, with so much instability and threat from armed groups, the solution needs to be something that local people can maintain and repair through local technicians with parts they can access locally.

As we re-engage with each of these communities, local action groups and other key stakeholders, we are inspired by those who have been here the whole time, living through the crises and yet still ready to put themselves out for sake of their neighbours. We want our support to be something that further equips, without harming that spirit of resilience and local initiative that has sustained Umoja FM so far.