“We already saved US$5,000 and there is a project we want to reinitiate: equipping our radio station with a solar panel kit”, said Joseph Bassay, manager of Radio Bondeko (meaning ‘fraternity’ in Lingala, one of the four national languages in the Democratic Republic of Congo), to Internews trainers a year ago. This dream is about to come true.
Radio Bondeko is located in Isangi, 130 km downstream from Kisangani, the capital city of the Tshopo province in the Northeast of the country. Traveling from Kisangani to Isangi is challenging. Most of the year, driving to Isangi takes more than 8 hours. It is easier to take a moto-taxi, cross two rivers with an old ferry, and reach Isangi in 4 to 5 hours.
Since July 2021, Radio Bondeko recorded a 134% increase in revenues thanks to the effective implementation of its three-year business development plan through Internews training in marketing and radio management, coaching and access to Open Media Fund microgrants.
In October 2022, Radio Bondeko used a 5,000 USD microgrant from Internews to develop a credit sales program for smartphones to public servants in the Isangi territory. Joseph Bassay and his team had noticed that the development of internet communications in this recently connected area was limited by the cost of smartphones, as most public servants in Isangi territory earn between 120 and 250 USD per month. This microgrant helped purchase affordable smartphones. With Internews’ technical assistance, they developed monitoring tools to verify documentation (evidence of public employment), register sales and reimbursements, and create dedicated sub-accounts to register transactions in their accounting system. Revenues generated by the alternative revenue scheme soon reached US$2,000 per month.
From July 2022 to March 2024, through Internews training and coaching, Radio Bondeko increased its advertisement revenues from US$350 per month to US$1,870. Additionally, the station was able to raise the average monthly salary of its staff from 50,000 Congolese francs (US$18) to 200,000 Congolese francs (US$71).
But Joseph Bassay has more in mind. Internews trainers advised him to create a Reserve saving fund, open and transparent, managed by the Board of the community radio (around US$8,400 up to June 30, 2024). One of the main issues for operating radio stations in remote areas is power. There is no public power supply. Economic actors buy fuel to run generators. In remote areas in DRC, fuel prices can reach up to 4 times the price in major cities due to logistical challenges. This burden represents up to 70% of operating costs for local radio stations located in most remote areas in the DRC. Radio Bondeko has now enough funds to start the procurement and the installation of a solar panel system. This will ensure “our independence and our future”, said Joseph Bassay.
From 2014, Internews has provided solar panel systems and training for their maintenance to 37 community radio stations in the DRC, and provided technical assistance for the installation of another seven solar panel kits. Solar panel systems have shown their efficiency and cost effectiveness to strengthen sustainability of local radio business models when technical and radio management capacities have been reinforced.
These activities have been funded by USAID.