A 40,000-US-dollar generator donated by USAID to Eye Radio. September 24, 2024. (Photo: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio)

Some members of the public have commended the US government’s donation of a brand-new generator to Eye Radio and called on other well-wishers to support the media in its endeavor to relay accurate and credible information.

On Wednesday, the US government, through its international development agency USAID, handed over a brand-new generator to strengthen Eye Radio’s ability to continue broadcasting accurate and reliable news to South Sudanese around the clock.

The generator worth $40,000 was commissioned by the US Ambassador to South Sudan, Michael J. Adler, and other USAID officials.

The station previously faced frequent power issues that forced it in some occasions to shut down at 8:00 PM and reopen at dawn to save power due to a faulty generator.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Ambassador Adler said the donation is part of USAID’s sustained assistance to the people of South Sudan.

Reacting to the donation, some members of the public thanked the US government for the “generous” support.

David Magok, a resident of Wau town in Western Bahr el-Ghazal state, appreciated the US government’s support and called on other partners to support Eye Radio’s operation in other parts of the country.

“We appreciate USAID for supporting Eye Radio, but what we are still requesting from other well-wishers is to fund Eye Radio so that (the station) can go and cover the whole country,” Magok said on the Dawn Show.

“There are other states in the country that don’t have Eye Radio. Like parts of Lakes State, we have Eastern Equatoria, and we have Malakal.”

Al-Zaim Abu Lulu, also a regular listener of Eye Radio, called on the government, NGOs, and other stakeholders to address challenges facing the station to continue delivering accurate and reliable news and information to the public.

“This is a very appreciative support from USAID, because Eye Radio does give us its best in programming, news, and information. Eye Radio continues to give accurate and reliable news and information to all South Sudanese,” he said.

“It is our role all of us, government, individuals, and NGOs, to address the challenges facing Eye Radio for it to continue giving us accurate news and information.”

Karo Kur Karo, a resident of Renk County in Upper Nile State, describes the station as a voice for all and urges humanitarian and development agencies to support its objective to bring information to the people.

“I commend the American Embassy in Juba for this donation; in deed, you [Eye Radio] deserve this support. Eye Radio is really an independent media, and it is the voice of the people.”

“All NGOs and agencies should stand with you and support you because you give people a chance to freely share their opinions. We hope all of you will be taken care of in terms of vehicles for transport for you to go to work safely.”

On his part, Franco Sebit in Juba called for support to expand Eye Radio to all corners of the country.

He said the listeners and well-wishers should contribute to facilitate the operationalization of Eye Radio in the country.

“We hope for more achievements; we also urge USAID to give you [Eye Radio] vehicles, because I can see the cars of Eye Radio are very old and almost damaged now.”

“We call upon well-wishers and all stakeholders to donate vehicles to Eye Radio. We as listeners of Eye Radio should also support Eye Radio to be operational in all parts of the country, such as Malakal and Bentiu.”

Eye Radio is an independent South Sudanese radio station founded in 2003 to provide accurate, reliable news and information and serves as a platform for promoting peace, democracy, and human rights in the country.

The media house began as a project of Education Development Center (EDC), an international NGO based in the US, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Previously known as Sudan Radio Service (SRS0), its first broadcast was on July 30, 2003, with initial one-hour-long shortwave broadcasts, consisting of news summaries and music.