In the days just
before we launched the new Solar Powered radio station, the village of Oshwe
was abuzz. People were walking around, radio glued to their ear, trying their
best to catch the frequency that our engineers were still fine-tuning. They
were so eager to get the new signal, that when they eventually did, they'd
excitedly call to one another "I got it! I got it!"

The local
shopkeeper was also very excited and stood rubbing his hands together, happy
about the new source of power and what it would mean for his radio sales.

On launch day hundreds
of the Oshwe community members gathered around the station where they were
joined by local, provincial, and even national authorities, among them the Vice
Minister of the Interior and the Provincial Minister for Education.

Leaders from
traditional authorities were there too, dressed in their ancestral outfits, a
sign that the ancestors formally endorsed and agreed with the initiative, and
would ensure there were no troubles during the opening celebrations.

Local people put
on their best clothes, and traditional musicians were there to mark the
occasion with music and dancing.

Radio is very
important in the life of isolated forest communities, like Oshwe. It's an
important communication tool, allowing individual villages to communicate with
each other, for people to hear music and discussion, and for villagers to be
informed about decisions regarding the forest.

In addition to
the solar panels on the station's roof, the broadcasting antenna was also
raised so that broadcasts could be sent over a wider range. This means that
other villages in the forest – like Bosobe and Lokolama, which are located at
more than 100km from Oshwe – can for the first time in their lives hear radio
broadcasts. They responded to the new signal with jubilation and dancing.

"In the
past, we were neglected by the national authority. But now that the radio can
broadcast continuously, we can start to feel connected to our country
again," said Placide Boyolo, a citizen of Oshwe.

"No more
noisy generators and ruined broadcasts when the diesel runs out! We can listen
to the radio all we want, thanks to Greenpeace," said Achille, a young man
also from Oshwe.