Elizabeth Mosima
12 January 2009
The sum of FCFA 20 million was handed as grant to the community radio in Lebialem, South West Region.
The Japanese Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E. Keiji Yamamoto, last Friday handed over a grant of FCFA 20 million to the Lebialem Association of Rural Communication (LARC) in Yaounde. The non refundable financial assistance offered by the Japanese government is for the construction of a relay pillion antenna and reinforcement and maintenance of broadcasting equipment of the studio of the Lebialem Community Radio, FM 91.7 M/H. in Menji, Fontem. Presently, due to a topography characterised by hills and valleys, TV, radio and telephone signals are quasi absent in the area and low range of the signal covers only less than five percent of the target population. The grant will therefore reinforce the studio equipment in order to reach at least 80 percent of the target population with good quality broadcast. Speaking during the occasion, the President of the LARC, George Atabong Atemnkeng, said the grant from the Japanese Embassy will help LARC fulfil one of its primordial objectives which is to disseminate information to more than 300,000 inhabitants of Lebialem and its environs. "With a 50m antenna, coverage will extend to our neighbours from Upper Manyu division, Menoua division in the West Region and parts of the North West Region," he said. For his part, Ambassador Keiji Yamamoto, said Lebialem Division was the first beneficiary of grassroots projects introduced in Cameroon by the Japanese government. He called on the management of the radio station to put in place appropriate mechanism to ensure proper maintenance of the equipment for the benefit of the people of Lebailem. The implementation of the project will promote education and culture, increase farmers' income through the market information system, improve the level of sensitisation on HIV/AIDS and other diseases, among others.
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