When the Weather Really Matters

06 March 2012
Labasa, Fiji Islands

FemLINKPacific's Women's Weather Watch Reports keeps us linked to women in our rural community media network whenever we hear cyclone or flood and storm alerts. We activate SMS messages across Fiji and we also communicate with government officials and the media to remind them to integrate women in planning responses including evacuation centres and humanitarian supplies.

But the focus on the weather is a little different this week, especially for our FemTALK 89FM broadcast team in Labasa.

Our broadcast site is the Anglican Church in the heart of the town, in a large tent, which as Lucille Chute reports, does keep you awake:

"Rain came knocking on my door, waking me up early this morning and all I could think of was our tent at the Anglican Church. So I jump out of bed and into the rain. Off I went to the Anglican Church. The tent was still standing empty and wet. We then planned as a team to move our radio kit to the church hall. It was just all thinking and using my brains this morning as the rain made me think quickly of what we had to do!"

The rain did clear and with it came women leaders from the "1325" network who have embraced the suitcase radio station as their information and communication platform.

This time women joined in from the Bulileka Mother's Club and Vunicuicui Multiracial Women's Group meeting with the Labasa team of FemLINKPacific's Generation Next Project who have recently completed media and advocacy skills training are demonstrating how community radio is empowering them to take the airwaves operating "suitcase radio" stations known as FemTALK 89FM.

Many of the women are eager to learn about the her-story of International Women's Day and are looking forward to the annual celebrations for International Women's Day in Labasa - many had thought attendance to the event was by invitation only and so the local broadcasts are indeed helping share information about local events too!

FemLINKPacific's IWD Community Radio campaign is supported by the International Women's Development Agency. Support for the rural community media network is provided by the European Union and the UNDP Capacity for Peace and Development small grant scheme.

The campaign will include a 2 hour television simulcast from 12noon to 2pm on MaiTV on March 8.

...Ends
Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, Executive Director, FemLINKPacific (www.femlinkpacific.org.fj)

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