Radio Miraya, a stalwart among South Sudanese broadcasters, is slowly becoming a young adult. What better way to celebrate its 19th anniversary than doing so together with its avid listeners?
In Juba, the station did a live broadcast at the Women Union’s Centre together with media colleagues, other stakeholders, a crowd of invited Miraya fans and with listeners from across the country interacting with the presenters of the day.
It was a day of indulging in decades-old poems and singing and dancing along to songs which, over time, have become milestone moments in the young nation’s history. It was indeed a good occasion for a long walk down memory lane.
Laurence Ladu Luka, a volunteer teacher, has been closely following the broadcaster’s path since 2012, when he was a student in Yei. At the time, he would often schedule his time not to miss his favourite Miraya mainstays, like its Breakfast Show, Nationwide and Roundtable Discussions on the hottest issues of the day, with the latter segment having left a lasting impression.
“The discussions I used to absorb inspired me to follow governance, cultural, social and economic issues, and I still do,” he said, adding that he proudly remembers that he was once also invited to participate in a talk show, speaking about waste management problems in the capital.
Never generations have also discovered and joined Radio Miraya’s on-air journey.
“You may mostly be working from your studios, far removed from us, but you give a voice to the voiceless, voices and reliable information that reach faraway towns and villages, affecting the lives of young and old people alike. Long may that continue,” said Apen Abraham, a senior student at the Darling Wisdom Academy.
His peer Safa Sarif confessed that the live broadcast on the anniversary had a profound impact on her.
“It has made me a fan because now I understand the importance of radio. From now on, I’ll be listening closely and learning a lot,” she vowed, pointing to the solar-powered device that she and others in attendance had received.
Patricia Okoed, Miraya’s Head of Programming, will have been pleased with these testimonies.
“What makes us unique is that we reach 80 per cent of the country, more than anybody else, and hopefully with more to come. Our microphones are open for everyone who wants to tell us and South Sudan about what is going on in their minds and lives,” she said.
Radio Miraya is run by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
