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Solar-powered radio station to spread the light in forest of Oshwe

Sun-Powered Forest Radio

Deep in the forests of Congo, it is almost impossible to get any good communication network going and the thick rainforests crisscrossed by endless streams and various rivers present are a challenge just to access. Around 22,000 people call the forest area of Oshwe their home and this remote area accessible only through a special flight from Kinshasa does not even enjoy a standard electricity supply. The only medium that regularly keeps the people of this region connected with the world outside is a radio station called Radio Television Bondeko, which too operates for just 4 hours a day- between 18:00 to 22:00!

The radio is broadcasted from the heart of the region giving valuable information and relevant local news to the people who fin this as their only way of knowing what is happening outside the forest. Run by a bunch of volunteers it has for long relied on diesel for power needs. But with the inaccessibility of the region, there are many days and weeks when the station does run out of fuel and those relying on it as the sole sources of information are left in the dark.

But a group of environmentalists along with Greenpeace are starting to provide the equipment and helping in the construction of a solar generator for the radio station. Since these are the tropics, there will be no shortage of solar power in the region and the local radio station can soon run uninterrupted and maybe even for a longer time. Not just that but the range of Radio Television Bondeko will be extended by good 100 km and that will ensure that more people stay tuned with the world outside.

The project is another wonderful example of an area in which alternate clean energy can shine where conventional grid power just fails to reach!

Via: Greenpeace

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