Hydro-Power Helps Radio Reach Remotest Papua

This article from the Media Development Loan Fund (MDLF) describes the creation and launch of a community radio station, Radio Pikonane, in the remote regency of Yahukimo, in the village of Anyelma, Papua, Indonesia. The initiative to build a radio station came from KBR68H, the country’s only independent radio news agency, which is partnering with Indonesian non-profit organisation Perhimpunan Pengembangan Media Nusantara (Indonesian Association for Media Development), in cooperation with MDLF and the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta.


According to the article, "[t]he choice of location for the station was prompted by a famine that struck the area two years ago, but which remained unknown for weeks due to lack of information....An assessment visit by KBR68H and MDLF found a region almost totally cut off from development. Basic services such as water, electricity and telephone were unavailable." Building the station was the eight radio station project of the KBR68H team, which begins working on its projects by taking time to talk to the local community to ensure that they are fully supportive of the initiative and committed to assisting with the long-term success.


The remote location presented a number of challenges, including the logistical challenge of access using an unreliable bridge linking the only road. Also, the absence of any form of media meant that station staff and volunteers lacked any experience and needed intensive and on-going training on all aspects of radio station management, programming, and technical issues. However, the location presented an even more fundamental challenge in that there was no electricity. With fuel in this remote area costing five times (at the time of construction) more than in the capital city, the article states that using a generator to power the station was not an option; so a low-cost sustainable source of power was needed. For that power source, a local company with relevant expertise was commissioned to build a micro-hydro plant that would harness the nearby Kut river to generate enough power to run the radio station. The 9,000 watt system also provides electricity to the local church, village meeting place, several individual homes, and the primary school, giving the children access to computers.


Five thousand community members attended the radio launch. As stated by Kores Waitipo, a teacher who donated the land on which the station is built, “We now have new opportunities to help ourselves. We plan to have farming programmes on the radio to help improve our crops. And with electricity those crops can earn more income because we can sell not just the raw product. Now we can also grind our coffee beans or blend carrot juice for sale.”