Refugees: Somali Nomads

Radio Regen has actively reached out to refugees and helped them participatiny in community radio. ALL FM airs Somali Nomads, the only programme of its kind in Britain. Its producers are an informal group who, as part of the first wave of Somali immigrants to Manchester, hope to help the newer generation of refugees

Presenter Liban Ahmad worked as a staff journalist in Somalia before the war forced him to flee the country, after which he edited a monthly publication in a Somali refugee camp in Yemen. On arrival in Manchester in 1999, however, he found a total absence of Somali press. Liban says he witnessed a huge demand for information among the city’s 6,000-plus Somali immigrants but no media whatsoever catering to their needs.

This changed after Moss Side & Hulme FM invited them to make a two-hour broadcast. After further training in basic radio skills by Radio Regen, Somali Nomads were allocated 20-minutes a week on ALL FM. According to Station Manager Alex Green, it’s often a good idea to start new volunteers with a small slot so they can gain experience and confidence.

Now with an hour-long programme, Liban says radio has proved an ideal medium with which to communicate with Manchester Somalis. “Our culture is an oral society and we talk a lot rather than write. At the moment we broadcast community news for young and old and we plan to introduce more features such as storytelling for children in the Somali language.”