We wish to help establish a radio station to serve Mvumi village, near Dodoma in Tanzania, and the surrounding area. The unique value of this radio station is as a place of work and training for people with different disabilities, including those who are visually-impaired. It will be a source of news, entertainment, education and information, as well as a means for the community to share its ideas.

Mvumi village is about 30 miles south west from Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania. The village has a population of about 15,000, and a 'catchment' area of over 30,000. The area is populated by a majority of farmers, but the villages are mixed.

Mvumi is a busy village with a broad range of skills from metal fabrication, through building and furnishings. It is also home to a large hospital – including an Eye Clinic - that serves the surrounding territory. The local transport hub to Dodoma, Tanzania’s capital city, Mvumi has four primary schools, and two secondary schools. Unusually for Tanzania, one of the secondary schools, teaching both “O-“ and “A-levels”, contains a specialist unit for Blind and Visually Impaired students (including albino children).

The local instigators of this project have already worked very hard to begin the set up of the radio station, Mvumi FM. It is registered and has a management structure made up of local people from the community and from the media world. They have begun assembling the technology in order to broadcast in Mvumi and to the surrounding catchment area.

To complete the technical side, estimates for the remaining equipment – to be sourced in Europe in order to meet technical standards - amount to about £2200. The current shopping list includes the transmitter, the aerial, remaining studio equipment, air conditioning, uninterruptable power supplies, cabling, and ancillary electronics. A full list of equipment is available. Although the technical side has priority, we would also like to contribute to the establishment of the studio. To comply with regulations, Mvumi FM must have a broadcasting room and a production room.

We represent a support group in the UK who would like to get this very valuable project up and running.