COMMUNITY GREEN RADIO TAKES PART IN CLEANING EXERCISE IN KIBOGA

Community Green Radio celebrated this year’s World Environmental day by taking part in a cleaning exercise in Kiboga.

The exercise saw public places such as markets, town council headquarters, Taxi Park and different streets in the town cleaned.

On the same day, over 100 trees were planted as one way of conserving the environment.

The trees were planted at the district playground, district and town council headquarters, and others were planted along Hoima Kampala high way for beatification and environment conservations purposes.

The world environment day commemorations attracted other players like Rotary club, World Vision plus schools.

Julius kyamanywa the station manager community green radio explained that NAPE being an environmental organization it can’t sit back and watch as the world is marking the environmental day.

He said taking part in the celebrations is part of Nape’s core mandate and responsibility.

“We are the environment and it’s our mandate to protect it.

Kiboga town council LC III Chairperson Hajji Suleiman Ssekiwunga thanked the organizations for the cleaning and tree planting exercises. He hailed Community Green Radio for the mobilization work that he said made the day a success.

“Community Green radio gave us a talk show and presenters kept mentioning this day. We are really blessed to have you”, Hajji Ssekiwunga explained.

He appealed for more organization operating in Kiboga district to come out and give support towards having the town clean.

MINISTER HAILS COMMUNITY GREEN RADIO FOR COMPLEMENTING GOVERNMENT

Government Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Kiboga District Ruth Nankabirwa Sentamu has hailed Community Green radio for government programmes by providing free airtime to government officials.

“We used to pay money to appear on radio. I want to thank the ownership and management of this radio for inviting us to speak to citizens freely. We are now able to talk about development and security issues. We are now able to mobilize citizens for development”, said the minister.

Minister Nankabirwa made the remarks in June while appearing on the Community Green radio’s Akatuuti show during the time designated for the Resident District Commissioner, RDC (President’s representative in the district).

The minister pledged moral support to the radio in its endeavors to cause positive change in the area.
Community Green radio has, since its inception, been providing space for government officials to share with the listeners on the available government programs. It is through such engagements that the listeners find an opportunity to seek for accountability from public office bearers.

Government officials share vital information in regard to various programmes aimed to uplifting the social welfare of women, youth, elderly and the general public.

Already, the radio has hosted Gender and Social Development minister Janet Mukwaya and other government dignitaries.

KIGAAGA SUSTAINABILITY SCHOOL SPEARHEADS TREE-PLANTING EFFORTS

Kigaaga sustainability school has stepped up efforts to plant indigenous trees to conserve the environment and ensure sustainable agriculture ahead of oil boom.

Joram Basiima, one of the Community Educators says Kigaaga village- which is adjacent to the future oil refinery and Hoima International airport in oil-rich Hoima district- has been massively affected by high rate of deforestation as a result of oil developments and influx of displaced people in area.

He says the school also known as Kigaaga Oil Refinery Women Development Association (KORECWODA) has partnered with SBC- a company that is constructing the airport ,to distribute indigenous tree seedlings to communities and also monitor and supervise those who receive the seedlings so that they can be planted.

“Because we are known for planting and nurturing tree seedlings of indigenous seeds, we were selected by SBC to be in charge of distributing indigenous tree seeds, supervising those who receive them,” he says.

He explains that over 2,000 indigenous trees have so far been planted and distributed.

“So far 1842Musizi and 910 Musisa trees seedlings have already been distributed to community members,” he adds

Basiima who is also the chairperson of Kigaaga Community Radio listeners club says they are reinforcing lessons from the radio to ensure natural resource management by increasing forest cover and sustainable agriculture by planting indigenous trees which encourage agro-forestry.

Community Green radio has also contributed a lot in creating awareness about environmental issues which has prompted communities to practice activities like tree planting,” he says

Peninah Ruhindi, the chairperson of KORECWODA says they have also started a campaign to plant trees along river lines and protected water sources.

“We are encouraging more people to plant trees as we lead by example. We have planted along Kanywabarogo river line and also on two protected springs,” she explains.

With support from National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), community members are raising indigenous tree seedlings to conserve the environment.

FULLY-FLEDGED COMMUNITY GREEN RADIO EXCITES LISTENER’S CLUB MEMBERS

For four years, Community Green Radio was operating through affiliation with Liberty FM in Hoima. It would broadcast from Thursday to Sunday from 1.00pm to 3.00pm. But this is history! For one year now, the radio is fully operational with its own home, frequency and studios.

At the frequency of 103.9 FM, the radio broadcasts live and clear, daily not only with radios but also online.

This has excited listeners club members who have seen it outgrow affiliation; and had for long demanded for a fully-fledged radio to be able to have enough time to advocate for environmental Conservation and human rights.

Karuhanga Moses, the chairperson of Butimba listeners club says he is happy that the radio broadcasts daily. He says the members now can go on radio anytime to discuss issues affecting their areas; not like those days where they were limited to specific time.

“We are happy that now the members can go on air anytime they wish not like those days when they would have to wait for time between 1.00-3.00 pm. Am happy with National Association of professional Environmentalists (NAPE) for adhering to our demand,” he noted

He adds that, “more voices of local communities will be amplified to actively participate in natural resources management, especially in Bunyoro region which is already fighting with challenges related to oil developments.”

Norah Bahongye, a member of Kigaaga listener’s club says she is happy to listen to her favorite women’s program-Nyinabwenge in evening time when she has retired from her day’s duties on Saturday.

“This radio has changed the lives of many women. We know our rights, we have engaged in planting trees to conserve the environment, and we have income generating activities, it’s good that Nyinabwenge program has been put at a time when many people are at home and are able to listen,” she says.

Last year, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) purchased Radio Kiboga FM which is being rebranded to Community Green Radio. This followed demand from listeners’ club members.

The radio started with 11 listener’s clubs from Hoima, Kikube and Buliisa Oil-rich districts. Currently, more listeners clubs have been created in districts of Kyankwanzi and Buliisa.

The radio has been operating with listener’s clubs for they work as a link between community members and the radio.

MEN ARGUED TO PROMOTE RIGHTS OF WOMEN

As the world commemorates mothers’ day, men have been called up to create an enabling environment for women to enjoy their rights to the maximum.

The call was made by Mr. Patrick Nsubuga, the Kiboga District community development officer, CDO, while appearing on the weekly gender show, Nyinabwenge on Saturday last week.

“Men should stop violating the rights of women especially in regards to forced sex, battering them and denying them food”, Mr. Nsubuga explained.

Mr. Nsubuga said government has put in place various laws that facilitate the enjoyment of rights by women, citing Article 33 of the constitution of Uganda. Article 33 guarantees rights of women to full and equal dignity of the person with men.

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhoodmaternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society.

The day is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father’s DaySiblings Day, and Grandparents Day.

The modern Mother’s day began in the United States, at the initiative of Anna Jarvis in the early 20th century.

Uganda’s 2016 police crime report showed that defilement cases alone rose by 34 percent, from 13,118 in 2015 to 17,567 in 2016. Defilement is the act of having sex with girls under 18. Rape cases reported, according to the report, also increased, from 1,419 to 1,572.

A 2015 report by the International Justice Mission indicates that 40% of widows experience actual or attempted property grabbing in their lifetime. More than 30% of widows are victims of property grabbing. In many cases the widows spoke of perpetrators (usually relatives of their deceased husbands) threatening and physically assaulting them and sometimes making attempts on their lives and those of their children.

According to statistics from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), out of 1,594 new rape and 7,618 defilement cases reported in 2015 and 2016, only 57% brought punishment to the perpetrator. Such a low number gives others a sense of impunity, and in so doing exacerbates violence against women.

The police and Ministry of Health—the two leading public institutions in GBV response—spend an estimated UGX 37.7 billion (about $10.4 million) annually dealing with GB.

Community Green radio has been running the gender show since 2014 when the radio started. The show is aimed at uplifting the status of women especially the rural women. The radio has since expanded it coverage to cover more districts including among others Hoima, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Buliisa and Kikuube.