Dambadeniya Community Radio
Description
The income of rural community living on agro/livestock/craft depends on seasonal rain, raw materials, environment, services and information from the government. The rural community is deprived due to existing communication gaps, poor roads, electricity and potable water that cause heavy losses and low productivity in their income generation. To address these gaps, Dambadeniya Development Foundation, a non government and nonprofit organization registered in 1994 under the social service ministry of Sri Lanka, has initiated a Community Radio programme to meet informational and communicational gaps of the communities. The community radio belongs to and is managed by the communities with the objectives of enhancing efforts of those living in vulnerable areas to raise their voices and fill the information and communication gaps through carrying out group interviews.
What we deliver
Through the participatory need assessment carried out by the volunteers to recognize the related issues, we interview individuals and groups to raise their voices in particular issues that recorded at field level with extension officers and other service providers to find the possible remedial and the advice of them and upload these programmes in the web page of Social Performance Development Centre the www.vishwae.org and burnt into CDs to disseminate among relevant stake holders. Once edited and completed at the studio located at Youth Centre at Dambadeniya Development Foundation www.dambadeniya.org , bring the attention of higher officers to the uploaded particular programmes in the internet for references when lobbying for remedial. Unsolved issues are being taken to the attention of decision makers at the highest level to find the solutions to these issues of the marginalized communities creating an opportunity for highest levels to listen to the voices of the marginalized communities.
Whom we deliver
The radio interviews are very popular among the villagers as they could listen their own voices followed up with the advice and guidance to overcome their issues at field level with the voice of particular officers. Still the audio is the most accessible and affordable mode of communication as they could get access through battery operated Radio/CD players which are affordable and interaction with CDs is common among the communities. The field officers also welcome the project as they also believe that these recorded advice and instruction could do a better role than printed brochures in addressing the Agro/Dairy base issues in their day to day livelihood activities. The decision makers at higher levels are also interest to listen to the voices of community in the internet for references as it give them first hand information in related issues and the follow up recorded remedial of the highest level that pass to these communities in continued radio programmes of Dambadeniya Community Radio.
Why is the project unique?
Yes the project is unique as it is the pioneer successful attempt to raise the voices of the marginalized people with their direct involvement in addressing their livelihood activities that bring it up to the highest level for remedial with first hand information for the decision makers which available to refer it in the internet. At the same time this is the only such programme that is being implemented through a participatory process and operated by youth on voluntary basis, Further the only audio programme using ICT and internet to address the issues of livelihood such as Agri/Dairy base activities which is the sole income for more than 70% of the population of the area. The uniqueness is the recognition of the marginalized communities as important stake holders in the operational and development process by make interaction with highest level decision makers to listen their voices at the internet for references and the committed remedial assured by the service providers.
Roadmap
My vision is to enhance the effort of rural community to become technologically advanced rural community by the year 2015 enabling them to application of appropriate technology and just in time services in their day to day lifestyle in meeting the challenges of today towards a better tomorrow using ICT as tool.
Contact
Sunil Rodrigo
Dambadeniya Development Foundation
306,Negombo Road, Narmmala,
NORTH WESTERN PROVINCE, Sri Lanka
