Haven Cruz-Hubbard, the Mission Director of the US Agency for International Development - CREDIT | Lou Nelson/Eye Radio | Nov. 22, 2021

The USAID Mission Director for South Sudan has announced the distribution of 10,000 radio sets to five states in South Sudan.

The solar-powered radios aimed at increasing access to information to enhance reconciliation and peaceful co-existence among communities.

In December 2020, a total of 32,000 solar-powered radios funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, benefited up to 160,000 vulnerable school children in South Sudan.

According to USAID, the distribution of the solar-powered radios helped improve access to quality education for South Sudan’s most vulnerable children.

Haven Cruz-Hubbard, the USAID Mission Director for South Sudan said increasing access to radio can mobilize people to converse with each other, know one another, appreciate, appreciate their diversity and foster a culture of peace in a country.

Cruz-Hubbard said the soon to be distributed radio sets will include traditional chiefs, elders, youth and women.

He spoke to Eye Radio this morning, ahead of the World Radio Day, which will be commemorated this Sunday.

“We are purchasing 10,000 radios to distribute across the various states and counties where we do our work because we know that it is an essential tool,” Cruz-Hubbard told Eye Radio.

“Without an ability to hear relevant information, timely information, to educate the citizenry and to provide a tool for regular people to air their grievances, to share concerns, to share viewpoints and perspectives, that’s the only way that we are going to truly build their lasting peace.

Cruz-Hubbard says Radio is a popular and widely accessible medium in South Sudan because it can influence listeners positively.

“Everyone in this country wants to have peace, in this beautiful country and through civic and education programs, radio can educate South Sudanese about implementation of the peace agreement and grassroots efforts to resolve the conflict.”

Haven Cruz-Hubbard went on to say that the distribution of the solar-powered radios will be conducted through ‘Sheja Salam’ or encourage a peace project.

The 750,000 dollars USAID-funded project will be implemented in 13 counties in five states.

This includes Western Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile, Unity, Jonglei and Easten Equaria states.

The US government through the USAID is the biggest donor of humanitarian and developmental aid in South Sudan.

The announcement came ahead of the World Radio Day celebration which will be commemorated on Sunday [February 13, 2022].

February 13th was proclaimed World Radio Day (WRD) in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day to celebrate radio.