TwoworkersofStarTimesinstallasatelliteTVdiscinavillageinKenya.China’ssatelliteprojectenablesmoreandmoreAfricanpeopleinruralareastoaccesstosatelliteTVservicesJINZHENGOver200childrenandadultsgavearousingreceptiontoUganda’sMinisterofEducationandSportsJanetMuseveniandChineseAmbassadortoUgandaZhengZhuqiang,accompaniedbyStarTimesTVpersonnel,whentheyswitchedonasatelliteTVatasymboliclaunchceremonyheldonJuly22.ThevenuewastheKakiriSOSChildren’sVillageSchoolinUganda’scentraldistrictofWakisoandforthisschoolitwasthedreamcometrue.
ThelaunchispartofawiderprojectfundedbytheChineseGovernmenttoenableaccesstosatelliteTVinUgandaandAfricaatlarge,aimedatexpandinginformationthroughtechnology.
TheKakiriSOSChildren’sVillageSchoolislocatedinaremoteareaandisfororphanswhoseparentsdiedmostlyfromHIV/AIDSorchildrenabandonedbytheirparents.Formanyofthesechildrenandvillagersresidingneartheschoolwhoattendedtheceremony,thiswastheirfirsttimetheyhadeverwatchedtelevision.
Positiveimpact
Speakingatthelaunchceremony,theguestofhonorMuseveni,whoisalsothecountry’sFirstLady,thankedtheChineseGovernmentfordonatingsatelliteTVsetsanddishes,sayingitwouldhaveapositiveimpactonsociety.
“IthankChinafordonatingsatelliteTVstoourpeople.Apartfromprovidingentertainmenttomembersofsociety,theprojectwillsupporteducationandencouragedigitallearninginschoolsbyprovidingdigitalaidintheformofprojects,”shesaid,addingthatlocalcommunitieswillhavetheopportunitytoaccesseducationalcontentfocusingonscienceandtechnology.
MuseveninotedthatthesatelliteTVswillhelpinimplementinglessonplansanddemonstrativeeducationandwillalsoboostthegovernment’sdrivetoimproveallaspectsoftechnology.
Oneoftheschoolstudents,14year-oldRuthNamyalosaidthatitwasthefirsttimeshehadeverwatchedTVandwasverythankfulforthedonationswhichwouldenrichherlife.
Anelderatthefunction,NelsonMukasasaidthatthesatelliteTVswillkeepthestudentsbusyandinterestedsotheywillhavenotimetogetinvolvedinnegativeactivitieslikedrinkingalcohol,smokingcigarettesorbunkingschool.TheTVswillhelpwithpeople-to-peopleculturalexchangesbycreat-ingmutualunderstandingthroughentertainmentandinformationsharedbetweenUgandansandChinese.WheretheTVshavealreadybeeninstalledaspilots,theywereaninstanthitwithlocalvillagefarmersbecauseoftheagriculturaltechnologyusedbyChineseseenonsomeeducationalprograms.
’IwatchedonthesatelliteTVdonatedtousbyChinaandwasamazedathowtheChinesefarmersrearfishinricegardens.Iwassurprisedatthesizeofthebigfishwhichfeedonparticlesthatcomefromthericeplants.Iamgoingtotrytodothesameinmyricegarden,’’said50-year-oldAbduKabugutu,aKakirifarmer.
StarTimes,aChinesemultinationalmediacompanybroadcastingacrossAfrica,hasbeencontractedtorollouttheproject,whichispoweredbysolarenergytoensuresustainability.Apartfromhomes,thesatelliteTVswillalsobeinstalledincommunalvillagehalls.AlongwiththefreeTVsetsandsatellitedishes,thepackageallowsbeneficiariesfreeaccesstoatleast20localandinternationalchannelsbroadcastingnews,sportsentertainment,educationdocumentaries,andmusic.FOCACpledge
Speakingatthelaunchingceremony,AmbassadorZhengsaid,“ChinawillcontinuetosupportUgandaandotherAfricancountriesintheirdevelopmentprograms.”
Hesaidthe$12-millionprojectisfundedbytheAssistanceFundforSouth-SouthCooperationestablishedbyChina,addingthatthedonationoffreesatelliteTVsisanoutcomeoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC).
DuringtheFOCACJohannesburgSummitheldinSouthAfricainlate2015,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingsaidthattobuildaChina-Africacomprehensivestrategicandcooperativepartnership,Chinawouldimplement10cooperationplanswithAfricainthefollowingthreeyears.TheninthplanwastoimplementaChina-Africaculturalandpeople-to-peopleplan.HenotedthatChinawouldbuildfiveculturalcentersinAfricaandprovidesatelliteTVreceptionto10,000Africanvillages.ThatpledgeismaterializingwiththelaunchoftheprojectinUganda.ZhengsaidthesatelliteTVreceptionprojectisthesecondaidprojectimplementedbytheChineseGovernmentinUgandausingtheAssistanceFundforSouth-SouthCooperation.
“Previously,inordertohelptheUgandanpeoplesolvetheirfoodproblemsandeasethereliefpressureoftheUgandanGovernment,theChineseGovernmenthadcooperatedwithWorldFoodProgramtoprovidetheemergencyfoodaidtoKaramojaregionwiththecontributionof$5millionbytheAssistanceFundforSouth-SouthCooperation,”hesaid.
UgandaisoneofthepioneercountriesinAfricatobenefitfromthesatelliteTVproject.Atleast10,000familiesin500villagesacrossUgandawillsoonhaveaccesstofreesatelliteTVasconnectionscontinue.TheCountryDirectorofSOSUgandathatmanagesKakiraSOSChildren’sVillageSchoolOliveLumonyasaidthattheimpactofChina’sdonationofsatelliteTVstotheschoolwillbelonglasting,sayingtheywillimprovethelearningenvironmentforlessprivilegedchildrenwhoareunderthecareoftheorganization.
“OurteachersandstudentswilldefinitelybenefitalotfromthedonatedsatelliteTVs.Theimpactislonglasting.Ourteacherswillbeabletoteachusingtelevisions,andourstudentswillaccessnewsandembraceinteractivelearning,’’saidLumonya.
FamilymembersinavillageoutsideAbuja,Nigeria,watchsatelliteTVZHANGBAOPINGUgandaisoneofthepioneercountriesinAfricatobenefitfromthesatelliteTVproject.Atleast10,000familiesin500villagesacrossUgandawillsoonhaveaccesstofreesatelliteTVasconnectionscontinue.
**ReportingfromUganda**Commentsto