Radio Zereda – A Defection Story from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Every once in a while a technological wunderkind appears from relative anonymity, and significantly impacts the lives of those around them. If I had a Pinterest (or a regular cork board for that matter), Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Biz Stone, Mark Zuckerberg, and the lesser known – but equally important – Arthur Zoungagde would have their own section. These five men, among others, are responsible for cultivating a better world through the innovations in technology.

As important and interesting as all of these innovators are, Arthur Zoungagde is without a doubt my favorite. In 2008, the native of Obo – a small village in Centra African Republic – was walking along a narrow dirt road when he came across a microphone laying in the dirt. He picked it up, inspected it, and then spoke into it. Over the course of the following week, Zoungagde tinkered with the device, added an impromptu radio antenna made from an old umbrella, and with that Radio Zereda was born.

Since it’s inception nearly five years ago, the technology has improved significantly and Radio Zereda has played an important role in the defection of LRA combatants. Zoungagde and the rest of the Radio Zereda staff curate and broadcast an eclectic mix of programing to its listeners. While the station has the usual music and news programs, it also broadcasts “Come Home Messaging.” Partnering with Invisible Children, the station features shows hosted by former LRA fighters and is broadcast in Acholi and Luo, the native languages of northern Uganda, where the majority of the rebels hail from. The program also reaches out to local communities and encourages them to accept and forgive former abductees as they return home.

A recent study found that 89% of LRA escapes credited the “Come Home” messaging of Radio Zereda, and other partner stations in the area, as an important factor in their decision to defect. Invisible Children is proud to partner with Radio Zereda and its proven efforts to encourage LRA fighters to lay down their weapons and come home. For more information on our FM radio program click here.

Radio Zereda

Radio Zereda founder Arthur Zoungagde

(Photo Credits: Washington Post, Invisible Children)