…as gov’t announces more radio stations for hinterland

FOURTEEN (14) new trainees from across the North Rupununi, along with the current staff of Radio Paiwomak, participated in a three-day basic broadcasting skills workshop earlier this week. The media workshop which took place at the Bina Hill institute in Annai, Region Nine, where Radio Paiwomak is located, was sponsored by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and conducted by Dr Rovin Deodat, Radio Specialist and Communication Consultant to the OPM.

The modules for this workshop covered basic skills required for speaking, reading, writing and interviewing on the radio by new community volunteers, a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) stated. The workshop was a direct result of a promise made to Radio Paiwomak by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo on a recent visit to the area. After noting the small staff of the radio station, the Prime Minister promised to arrange for more trained volunteers to assist the Coordinator, Virgil Harding and his staff of three, to continue serving the communities of the North Rupununi.
In his opening remarks, Dr Deodat indicated that this workshop was fulfilling part of the commitment made by the Prime Minister when he visited Radio Paiwomak on July 22, 2016. The PM also promised the assistance of OPM in upgrading the broadcasting equipment of Radio Paiwomak, after the necessary assessment was carried out. The trainer also revealed that Radio Paiwomak is now seen by OPM as part of the regional network of community-oriented radio stations, which also include Radio Lethem and Radio Maburama. Radio Piawomak is the first Community Radio Station to have been established in Guyana, under a UNESCO initiative, and began broadcasting in the year 2000. It is currently supported by the National Communications Network (NCN) and OPM.
Meanwhile, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock, has said that radio stations will be established in areas such as Aishalton, Region Nine; Moruca, Region One; and Orealla Region Six. The minister made this announcement on Monday at the opening of the 10th annual National Toshaos Council (NTC) conference which saw 212 indigenous leaders participating, at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC). Communication is a necessary and essential tool, Minister Allicock said, as he noted the importance of bridging the gap between the coastland, and the hinterland through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
“For us in Guyana, we’ve known that there is a division in terms of the coastal area, where the majority of the population resides, and the hinterland. Sometimes you travel to the hinterland, and it’s like you are in a different country. This is why the Government is ensuring that we have connections across this country, because we believe that if we have communication, we have access to information, and if you have information you have knowledge and knowledge is power,” Minister Allicock explained.
The Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister noted that this project is just the beginning of a larger programme to ensure that communities across the country, even the most remote ones, are connected with the rest of Guyana through communication.
Once the funding is made available, the project will be rolled out in stages, Minister Allicock assured. Community radio stations were established in the newly named towns of Lethem in Region Nine and Mabaruma in Region One this year. These two are in addition to Radio Paiwomak, which was the first community radio established in the early 2000. The aim of the government’s community radio stations project, which is implemented by the Office of the Prime Minister, is to link the indigenous communities through communication. The established radio stations are all affiliates of the National Communications Network (NCN) and are broadcasting on the national frequency.