CHAMECC launches 1st community radio in Bamenda

Charmers Media and Communication Consults (CHAMECC), a civil society organization (CSO) based in Bamenda, has organized a workshop to launch the first ever community radio station to cover all seven sub divisions of Mezam division in the North West region of Cameroon. The three year media project titled Mezam Community Radio (MECOR) project has as motto “Putting our Community first”. The launching workshop took place on Monday 15th February 2015 in the conference hall of the Bamenda City Council and Information Center, Bamenda. The Launching was financed with funds from government subvention to CHAMECC for the year 2015.

The ceremony brought together five of the seven mayors in Mezam division, leaders of civil society organizations, heads of community development organizations, the main users of community radios, trade unions, leaders of people living with disabilities and managers of community, commercial radio stations and journalism students in and around Bamenda.

Speaking at the ceremony, the executive coordinator of CHAMECC, Blasius Charles NJI, revealed that the launching workshop was financed with funds from government’s subvention to CHAMECC in 2015. He noted that co-opted partners in the project include The Pilot newspaper, an e-bilingual weekly publication of CHAMECC and Media Women for Gender and Development (MEWGED), represented by Mrs Tibah Esther.

Using a power point presentation, the executive coordinator of CHAMECC lamented that there are very few community radio stations in the North West region and hoped that with the Mezam Community Radio, the media landscape will be improved leaving no dark zones in the division. Blasius Charles NJI took time to explain the mission and definition of a community radio and outlined the various core activities envisaged. According to him the three-year project ends by 2018 and it will attract a budget of thirty three million francs (33.000.000) FCFA. “We are moving towards creating a CHAMECC Media Group which will include CHAMECC-NGO, The Pilot Newspaper and MECOR”, Blasius Charles NJI told reporters after the workshop.

The director of communication in the Archdiocese of Bamenda, Rev. Fr. Tatah Mbuy, who is the technical adviser to the project, gave an excellent presentation on the sub theme “The Role of Community Radios in the Decentralization Process in Cameroon: the case of councils in Mezam”.

After debating and adopting the name of the radio, mayors and station managers as well as community development partners shared their experiences on how they collaborate with community radios to achieve their objectives in the decentralization process in Cameroon.

“We want to make sure that the old mother in Mbatmandet (Bali sub division), Mundum (Bafut sub division), Baligham (Santa sub division), Bangshie (Bamenda I sub division), Mbelem (Bamenda III sub division), Alatakoh (Bamenda II sub division) and Sabga (Tubah sub division) should be able to listen to the radio while on her farm”, the executive coordinator, said adding that “the most important stage in a project is starting it.”

A mayor, who elected to remain anonymous, said “it is a laudable initiative because we do not even receive CRTV signals in our council, so this Mezam Community Radio project will enable us to cover our council sessions and other activities in the municipality in our local dialect”.

The executive coordinator of CHAMECC said funds for the project will come from national and international partners, fundraising ceremonies, the community’s contribution as well as the contribution of the project initiator (CHAMECC) which will be in kind.