Radio Wa

SCIAF began working with Radio Wa (which translates as Our Radio in Swahili) in 2002.

Radio Wa was set up in Lira, northern Uganda, to encourage child soldiers who had been abducted and recruited by the Lord’s Resistance Army to return home to their villages free from fear of reprisal. In the bush they were forced to believe that once they committed atrocious crimes (which they were coerced to do under the threat of punishment of death or severe beating) they would be punished by their loved ones if they returned to their homes.

Since the start of peace talks between the LRA and the Ugandan government the station has switched its messages to encourage peace and the reintegration of both children and women abductees. Radio Wa broadcasts a wide range of programmes for the local community including letters read out to child abductees from their loved ones, phone-ins, politics shows and prayer readings.

“The Peacemakers Programme” supports local efforts to strengthen community dialogue, peace and conflict resolution, alongside efforts to protect people’s rights. Programmes broadcast from Radio Wa focus on peace, issues around reintegration of former child soldiers and women’s rights. One major aspect of this programme is the reconnection of family members with returning child soldiers. Radio Wa announces the names of children who have recently returned so that they may be reunited with their families, and then provides support and advice to them.

In October 2009, SCIAF continued to provide support to the work of Radio Wa by providing a grant of over £40,000.

In the past, Radio Wa has benefited from SCIAF funding which enabled the station to buy a large antenna to increase its radio transmission coverage from a 100 mile to a 400 mile radius, in order to reach the child abductees who were held by the rebels in the isolated border areas of Uganda.

Fr John Fraser – founder of Radio Wa said:

“SCIAF helped us get a bigger transmitter so we could reach the whole of northern Uganda. The antennas we had weren’t strong enough so we asked SCIAF and they gave us money for new ones.

"We've gone from reaching a range of about 100 miles to a range of 400 miles and that's helping get our message out to more people. We're very greatful for that."