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SUDAN / PEACEKEEPING RADIO
STORY: SUDAN / PEACEKEEPING RADIO
TRT: 4:39
SOURCE: UNMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE; ENGLISH / ARABIC / KAKUA / NATS
DATELINE: 16-18 MAY 2009, JUBA, SUDAN
18 MAY 2009, JUBA, SUDAN
1. Wide shot, Miraya FM transmiter
2. Med shot, antenna
3. Med shot, transmitter
4. Med shot, sign saying Miraya FM
5. Wide shot, Susana Abuk Justin walking into Miraya studio
6. Med shot, Susana inside studio
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Susana Abuk Justin, Radio Presenter, Miraya FM:
“My voice is my strength, why, because interacting with the communities. I happen to notice that there is a lot of change I made as a person, and if you change something from negative to positive, that means contributing to peace building.”
8. Med shot, Susana in studio
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Susana Abuk Justin, Radio Presenter, Miraya FM:
“I am not making my voice only to sing or to talk, really through my program, I am a peacekeeper and bringing changes.”
16 MAY 2009, JUBA, SUDAN
10. Med shot, Susana in market
11. Med shot, vegetable seller
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Akuja Ajaba, Vegetable seller:
“The voice of Susana is very lovely. She specially talks on women and children and how to take care of the family.”
18 MAY 2009, JUBA, SUDAN
13. Wide shot, transmitter
14. Med shot, Susana in her office
15. Close up, Susana’s hand
16. Med shot, Susana discussing with a colleague
17. Close up, Susana’s face
18. Wide shot, Susana walking towards a colleague
19. Med shot, Modi Lomindi discussing with coworker
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Modi Lomindi, Radio Presenter, Miraya FM:
“She is very humorous, she uses both languages that is Arabic and English and sometimes she switches to Swahili, she has been more interesting to international communities also. When she speaks Swahili mainly people from Kenya understand, from Uganda understand and from Tanzania understand. That means she has been an interesting presenter especially in the program Sudan tonight.”
21. Wide shot, family in Juba listening to Miraya FM
22. Close up, radio playing Miraya FM music
23. Med shot, Sallama Apai and family seated
24. SOUNDBITE (Kakua) Sallama Apai, Miraya listener in Juba:
“Susana Abuk talks in her program on our issue as women, we are very happy to listen to different programs on politics, census and this makes us happy. She also raises awareness about the current situation in Juba and the country.”
25. Wide shot, radio antenna
26. Close up, Radio Miraya sign
27. Med shot, Susana inside studio presenting program
28. SOUNDBITE ( English) Susana Abuk Justin, Radio Presenter, Miraya FM:
“I never dreamt of being a broadcaster but I admire radio presenters or broadcasters the way they read the news, the way they broadcast especially on radio and TV. I admire them a lot. But I never dreamt of being one, but people used to tell me that you can make a good broadcaster or a good presenter because you have a lovely voice first of all and you are too energetic.”
29. Close up, Susana inside Miraya studio
30. Wide shot, Susana leaving Miraya FM station
With no formal training in journalism, Susana Abuk Justin never dreamed of becoming a famous broadcaster.
However, the 26-year old south Sudanese who joined the United Nations Mission in Sudan’s Miraya FM radio station in 2006 as a radio presenter can easily be described today as ‘the voice of Miraya FM’.
Her flagship program “Sudan Tonight” is a magazine-based program which deals with current issues, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, political issues and gender based programs.
Guests to the show come from all walks of life: politicians, health experts, journalists, and civil society organizations, among others.
SOUNDBITE (English) Susana Abuk Justin, Radio Presenter, Miraya FM:
“My voice is my strength, why, because interacting with the communities. I happen to notice that there is a lot of change I made as a person, and if you change something from negative to positive, that means contributing to peace building.”
Susana’s sensational voice and topical program “Sudan Tonight” have made her a household name, riding her wave of fame right into every house in Southern Sudan. According to a survey by Education Development Center, her program is one of the most listened to on Miraya FM.
While Susana is an impassioned radio presenter, she is also a very deep believer in contributing to peace building in her home land of Sudan.
SOUNDBITE (English) Susana Abuk Justin, Radio Presenter, Miraya FM:
“I am not making my voice only to sing or to talk, really through my program, I am a peacekeeper and bringing changes.”
People might not physically recognize her, but Susana’s distinct voice is well known to radio listeners across Southern Sudan.
Akuja Ajaba is a vegetable seller at Konyo Konyo market in Juba. She always listens to Miraya Radio and is a fan of Susana.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Akuja Ajaba, Vegetable seller:
“The voice of Susana is very lovely. She specially talks on women and children and how to take care of the family.”
People like Akuja have no other means of entertainment in a region with limited radio stations.
The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) launched Miraya FM in June 2006 in partnership with Fondation Hirondelle, a Swiss-based organization.
Miraya – mirror in Arabic – aims to reflect the realities of life in North and South Sudan. It offers programs 24 hours a day, seven days a week on FM in South Sudan and on short wave all over the Sudanese territory. People of North Sudan and the Sudanese diaspora can listen to Miraya FM on the internet.
Susana is famous for her ability to easily switch languages on air from Arabic to English and sometimes Swahili, says Modi Lomindi a co-worker at Miraya FM.
SOUNDBITE (English) Modi Lomindi, Radio Presenter, Miraya FM:
“She is very humorous, she uses both languages that is Arabic and English and sometimes she switches to Swahili. When she speaks Swahili mainly people from Kenya, Uganda understand and from Tanzania understand. That means she has been an interesting presenter especially in the program Sudan tonight.”
Sudan tonight is aired four hours everyday from Monday through Friday. The program tackles various topical issues, and Susana is known for putting tough questions to her guests who include politicians.
Sallama Apai is among the thousands of listeners who tune in to Susana’s programs. Sallama says that she always discusses the issues raised with her friends and family members.
SOUNDBITE (Kakua) Sallama Apai, Miraya FM listener in Juba:
“Susana Abuk, talks in her program on our issue as women, we are very happy to listen to different programs on politics, Census and this makes us happy. She also raises awareness about the current situation in Juba and the country.”
Susana embodies a new style of peace advocacy journalism, talking about peace at home, relationship between families, role of youth in building peace in the Sudan and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that was signed in 2005 that ended the bloody war between north and south.
As her listenership grows, Susana is grateful for her great gift…her voice.
SOUNDBITE (English) Susana Abuk Miraya FM Radio Presenter
“I never dreamt of being a broadcaster but I admire radio presenters or broadcasters the way they read the news, the way they broadcast especially on radio and TV. I admire them a lot. But I never dreamt of being one, but people used to tell me that you can make a good broadcaster or a good presenter because you have a lovely voice first of all and you are too energetic.”
A Juba native, Susana likes to model, sing, dance and read.
During the civil war between north and south Susana’s father was imprisoned in Khartoum, prompting her mother to settle there with Susana. Susana later moved to Nairobi, Kenya, but returned home after the peace agreement between north and south Sudan was signed in 2005.
In 2003 her relatives in her village almost forced her to marry an elderly man, but she refused and continued her education, completing Secondary School in 2004. Currently she is pursing a career in Advertising and Public Relations distance learning with Cambridge College.
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