Virtual fundraising for Tororo Broadcasting Network set for Saturday

FILE PHOTO: Kwar Adhola Moses Owor launches the 1st fundraising drive at his palace in November. The second, will be this weekend, but will be virtual because of the new SOPs.

Tororo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Because of new travel restrictions imposed to contain COVID-19, the second and last Tororo Broadcasting Network (TBN) fundraising drive will be held virtually on Saturday 12/06/2021.

Set for the Kwar Adhola’s Palace in Tororo, the fundraising drive that starts 2.00pm was originally set to be a 200-person event. It will now be a 20-person event, that will be relayed live virtually. Everyone else in the country and the diaspora, will be able to link with events of the day via Zoom and Facebook.

HRH Moses Steven Owor The Kwar Adhola will grace the occasion, aimed at raising up to sh200million needed for the radio to become a reality.

Tororo Rock to get a new voice in its bossom. The new radio is expected to dominate the Tororo airwaves.

A Sh600 million funds drive to establish a radio to serve Tororo district and beyond was last year initiated by the Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution (TACI), with appeals going to potential donors in Uganda and abroad.

First Fundraising

At the first fundraising in November 2020, Kwar Adhola Moses Owor challenged the clans to spearhead the drive to mobilise support for the radio (video below), which he said will be a main vehicle for communication.

“Our people are praised for being hardworking. Now is the time for the Jopadhola, each of them, to show what they are capable of,” Kwar Adhola said.

VIDEO: KWAR ADHOLA’S SPEECH

“This radio will be used to tell our people the truth, spread development plans and cultural news. I urge you all to contribute as everyone is capable of making a contribution to grow Padhola,” he said.

Sh200million target

Ahead of Saturday’s final fundraiser, Geresom Okecho-Ochwo, chairperson of the TBN Board, and also head of its fundraising committee confirmed that up to sh300M has been raised in cash and pledges.

The TBN equipment that arrived in the country earlier, has finally been cleared and delivered to Tororo

He also confirmed that the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has given a green light to the granting of a frequency. Okecho said that UCC license costs to the tune of Sh45 million, have already been pledged by the area MP, Apollo Yeri.

He also confirmed that studio equipment for the proposed Tororo Broadcasting Network (TBN) arrived in the country earlier this year, and Transmission equipment is on the way.

“We have taken delivery of studio equipment having made good the suppliers cost, and others – transport, insurance, inspection and taxes all totaling Sh67 million. We have also paid 70% of CIF cost (Entebbe) for transmission equipment,” said recently.

Talks, he added, have also been initiated with a media consultancy firm for technical support to identify, recruit and train key staff in readiness for launching of TBN later this year. As part of the preparations, TBN recently attended a Uganda Media Women’s Association (MWA) training workshop in Tororo last month.

“It was agreed that a radio, owned by the community would not only serve as a voice for unity and development of Padhola, but also act as springboard for other development initiatives under TACI,” Okecho stressed earlier.

Already in place is a house offered by Ambassador Bernadette Olowo- Freers at Tororo central business district that will be repurposed and wired to host the radio. This will offset a budget of sh6m annually in rent.

A bid from a participant on Zoom being relayed at the first fundraising in November. It will be a full virtual session this weekend

“We want to assert with confidence that we are past the peak of our requirements for TBN to be on air. If we are to use a normal distribution curve, we are now on the descent. Together, we have persistently run the race. We are very close to achieving our set goal” he said while encouraging well wishers from Tororo, Uganda and abroad, to help meet their budgeted figure of sh600 million.

At the first fundraiser, several items were auctioned, including Kwar Adhola’s portrait and a beautiful Tororo Rock (Tele Tororo ) portrait. Over Sh22 million was raised in pledges and cash.

Items to be auctioned this Saturday include goats, sheep, turkeys, branded t-shirts and mugs, plus the dhopadhola-English dictionary. Target is to raise sh200million.

The fundraising committee considered that radio is still the dominant mass-medium in Uganda with the widest geographical reach and the highest audiences compared with television (TV), newspapers and other information and communication technologies (ICTs).

VIDEO: JAGO’S SPEECH FIRST FUNDRAISING

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Banking and mobile money details

The committee has opened collection bank accounts with DFCU Bank Limited, Acacia Branch to ease the fundraising drive.

TACI have also included a GoFundMe initiative (GoFundMe ) online as one of the ways to raise funds. It is organised by Prof Robert Owor at Albany State University.

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ACCOUNT NO (UGX): 01063658295260
ACCOUNT NAME: TIENG ADHOLA DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
BANK: DFCU BANK LIMITED, ACACIA BRANCH
SWIFT CODE: DFCUUGKAXXX

ACCOUNT NO (USD): 02063658329257
ACCOUNT NAME: TIENG ADHOLA DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
BANK: DFCU BANK LIMITED, ACACIA BRANCH
SWIFT CODE: DFCUUGKAXXX

Treasurer, Constant Othieno Mayende Mobile Money (MTN: 0772 590464 or Airtel: 0751 233470)