Contribution of community radios in rural areas development case study of Habwa Ijambo? program aired at RC Huye

CHAP 0: GENERAL INTRODUCTION

After the liberalization of the media sector in Rwanda, by the establishment of law N° 18/2002, there has been unprecedented mushrooming of media outlets, both print and broadcast sections. And today, the Media High Council continues to witness a considerable growth number of media outlets, which differs in editorial lines and policies. This portend a national effort in encouraging a diversified media sector and freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda (HMC report, 2008).

This study seeks to study/critically assess the role of community radios and how they help audience in rural to develop themselves. To assess this, I chose to take a case study of one program aired at Huye community radio (RC Huye) called `Habwa Ijambo' it has helped me to discover the impact of those radios in uplifting population from poverty.

0. I. Background to the study

The power of community radio is to mobilize groups and bring change to societies^1(*). Community radio is generally the best tool for getting information to illiterate and poor communities, as it requires neither reading skills nor money to buy newspapers.

Since in many countries most media are concentrated in capital cities and heavily populated areas, and even national media fail to reach remote areas, community radio provides the opportunity of «reaching powerless communities and giving them a voice.»

Even in areas where national media broadcast, the impact of a community radio broadcasting in a local language or languages is incomparable, an implementer observed.

Over the past several decades, radio has been the medium used most extensively in developing societies in rural areas means of providing Information and education to diverse target groups (e.g., farmers, rural mothers. illiterates, primary school children) in formal and non formal education, agriculture, health, family planning, community development and nutrition.

As a result, radio is by far the dominant mass medium in Africa. There is one radio receiver for every five people (compared with one telephone for every 100 people)^2(*).

Since 2003 Rwanda has adopted a policy of adopting many media houses, including some community. Since these community radios started broadcasting around the country, they had great impact on the rural development around the country, because of their aired programs regarding health, social, economic and good governance.

RC Huye, is the Huye community radio that started in July 2003, it has a program called `Habwa Ijambo' literary means in English «The flow is yours.» The program is dedicated to the population, where they are free to speak everything related to their everyday's life including development related issues (economic and social).

Radio is used in most rural areas as an effective tool for creating awareness and promoting consciousness in development areas. It also the most ideal mass medium available to reach vast segments of the population in developing societies.

This study examines the real impact in developing the rural areas, especially in the economic and social behaviour change side. The researcher want to see also the application of radio in rural development by community radios in Rwanda, but our targeted program remains `Habwa Ijambo' program aired at RC Huye.

The main purpose of this research is to know how population targeted by the `Habwa Ijambo' program aired at RC Huye perceives it, and it also aims to examine if there is any impact in their economic or social status. In this research, I want to see the role of population in the production of the program.

* ¹ http://www.ned.org/cima/CIMA-Community_Radio-Working_Group_Report.pdf

* ² From Africa Renewal, Vol.19 #2 (April 2005), page 4