In the heart of the Maroon community in Accompong Town, St Elizabeth, a significant transformation is taking place. Abeng Radio 88.7 FM, a community radio station, is leveraging the power of radio to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Maroons and empower its community.
The Maroons, who have used the abeng as a communication tool for over 274 years, are now using it in the 21st Century to call meetings and alert the community of significant events. This tradition has found a new medium in Abeng Radio, which has been serving almost 30,000 people within the community’s environs, and with new partnerships are widening their reach every day.
The UNESCO Office for the Caribbean has been a steadfast supporter of Abeng Radio since its inception. In 2016, on the 278th anniversary of the signing of the Maroon Peace Treaty with Britain, the Accompong Maroons made their first radio broadcast. This was made possible through a grant provided by UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) Funding to strengthen Community Radio in Jamaica. This grant enabled the Maroons to realize their dream of establishing a radio station that would empower their community and protect their Indigenous culture.
Despite the challenges of limited financial resources and lack of trained personnel, the community has used the radio station as a platform to increase local communication and share their cultural heritage, first locally and now thanks to the Internet, internationally. The radio station is the first of its kind in Accompong.
Through the initial funding from the UNESCO/IPDC grant, 20 community volunteers were trained as broadcasters and equipped with the skills to operate and manage the community radio station. The station also acquired equipment to aid transmission and production.
This year, in commemoration of World Radio Day 2024, the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean showed up in support of the people and volunteers of the Maroon village and their radio station Abeng 88.7 FM. The event highlighted the history of the radio station and its widening reach, with hopes to continue sharing the culture of the Maroons with the world.
Today, as we gather to celebrate World Radio Day, we stand in recognition of a medium that has, for over a century, connected people across the globe. Radio is not just a tool for entertainment; it is a lifeline for information, a stage for meaningful discussion, and a vehicle to nurture and pursue the ideals of peace, liberty, and democracy
The radio station plans to introduce innovative programs, such as a Twi language program, to teach youth and community members the language from ancestral Africa. Station Manager, Norma Rowe Edwards, shared that this program would be significant in helping preserve and ensure that the younger generation can reconnect with their African heritage.
The radio station will also host programs for children and programs highlighting the history and future of the Maroons, as well as indigenous herbs and their safe usage. Some of these new developments were a result of the training led by the UNESCO Jamaica National Commission last summer through the UNESCO Participation Programme.
Richard Currie, Chief of the Accompong Maroons, joined virtually to thank the UNESCO team and wished the radio station well as they widen their reach through culture, education, information, and entertainment.
In addition, Abeng Radio Station awarded their volunteers and signed an MOU with SupaJamz Radio which will allow them to broadcast internationally, via their website. The UNESCO Office for the Caribbean continues to celebrate and support the radio in a box initiative within the community.
