Our partner in that war-torn region, Project Education Sudan (PES), is a non-profit that builds primary and secondary schools and trains teachers in rural villages in South Sudan; ETOW’s radios, we’re pleased to state, taking a starring role in this teacher training program. There are currently four PES schools in an area of Southern Sudan so remote that resources often have to be flown in on chartered planes. ETOW radios are in all four, helping teachers bring both education and hope to a devastated population. There is currently no public telecommunications infrastructure in South Sudan, yet ETOW radios make diverse programming available to these teachers, via shortwave and FM broadcasts. In classrooms that lack not only electricity, but often paper and pencils, these rugged, self-powered worldband receivers offer a tremendous wealth of free teaching material.

Our shipment of forty five additional radios is heading there. Daniel Majok Gai, a member of the board of directors of PES as well as its South Sudan program director, tells us that the teachers in the new schools are using ETOW radios to listen to FM 95.5 news from 6–10 a.m. and from 3–10 p.m. and to South Sudan Mirriaya news on a daily basis.

Gai says that “the teachers use the radios to collect good stories and share them with the students.” From his observations, Gai adds, “These radios have created a wider benefit between teachers at PES school and those teaching from the government schools…living within the same community.” He believes the teachers working in the PES-supported schools have an enviable advantage over those in the government institutions.

Our goal this year is to offer greater benefit to more children and their communities by sending additional radios to South Sudan, and even more countries where radio–whether local or international–is a lifeline of information in the community.

Ears To Our World firmly believes that access to information is access to education and both are essential human rights.

When we place radios in schools and communities through our global partners, we do so as a collaborative effort among equals: to make a lasting impact in our served areas, our in-country NGO affiliates distribute the radios where they can do the greatest good. Additionally, our partner teachers and community leaders entrusted with ETOW’s radios take responsibility for their care, monitoring each unit’s function as a result of daily usage. ETOW maintains contact with these partners and provides assistance as needed and feasible.

Fortunately, the Etón Grundig self-powered, hand-crank worldband radios with which ETOW works have been functioning superbly in the field, in places as diverse as Belize, Chile, Romania, Mongolia, South Sudan, and Cameroon. Thus far, these units have proven more than equal to the challenge: with care, these radios can last up to up to three years in the field, exceeding our expectations for the product. In areas where conditions are extreme, the radios do wear more rapidly, but we have learned that only tens in hundreds break within the first year of use, a remarkable finding and a testament to the committed care of the units by our partner-users.

Even a more significant finding, however, is the validation of our organizational model. ETOW recently had the opportunity to examine the sole radio returned to us from a remote area of Cameroon where our partner, NGO EduCare-Africa, had assigned it for use as a teaching tool in a local school. While the radio still received signals after three years of use, it no longer charged by hand crank; ETOW requested its return for analysis. Pavla Zakova-Laney, Founder, President, Executive Director, and full-time volunteer of EduCare, promptly responded with the radio’s return. In the meantime, as per our agreement, she offered the teacher partner a replacement radio. So, although the original radio experienced an internal component failure, it was apparently otherwise well-cared for, as the teacher partner had agreed upon placement; our NGO partner was informed of the problem, and served as on-site intermediary; and ETOW was able to address the problem by replacing the unit. Clearly, ETOW’s model of collaboration and follow-through works.

“We recognize that success in humanitarian aid requires providing consistent and reliable support over time,” explains Thomas Witherspoon, ETOW’s founder and director, “so we commit to our teachers and partners that we will do our best to replace or repair radios when they eventually reach the end of their useful life.”

ETOW’s experience in Cameroon is, in our view, a clear success story. According to Zakova-Laney, there are currently seven ETOW radios serving communities in Cameroon, being used in secondary/high schools. And although they are located in remote areas, EduCare estimates that nearly 2,700 students and teachers have directly benefitted from these seven devices. That number increases dramatically as news and other information is disseminated to students’ families at home and to communities at large.

But upon further examination, EduCare’s feedback is not all that surprising. In the areas ETOW serves, even one radio can produce a remarkably broad positive impact. “Every school [that received a radio] greatly appreciated it, and promised it would be used well and handled with care,” explained Zakova-Laney. In developing areas, each radio is an invaluable resource because it can affect so many lives. Even the single returned FR200 with the broken crank, in otherwise good condition despite extensive use, reinforces what we’ve believed from the beginning: radio is the best method to reach the greatest number of people where the need is greatest in the developing world. It is economical, uncomplicated, broadcasts are unhindered by boundaries and politics–and, as we’ve seen, as tough as it needs to be.

We’re proud of the continuing role we play in support of invaluable programs like EduCare-Africa’s, helping our partners achieve their goals of expanding opportunities and improving lives through education. So, exactly how important is our role? Zakova-Laney: “I believe that as long as there will be remote places without electricity and…a means of communication, these radios will be very helpful, bringing news, useful information and educational programs—and [they will be] appreciated tremendously.”

ETOW extends our appreciation to our generous supporters who enable us to do what we do. Thank you all.

ETOW founder, Thomas Witherspoon, and board member Ed Harris recently answered a “Call for Papers” from the organizers of this prestigious forum, coauthoring and submitting a paper entitled “Avoiding the 30-Pound Paperweight: Success Via Contextually Appropriate Technologies.” We’re delighted to announce that the paper–which details how to successfully incorporate into humanitarian efforts the “human vector” (the real-world needs and input of the people served) with the “technological vector” (the tools currently available)–was accepted.  Thomas will present the paper, and explain how ETOW exemplifies this approach, to conference attendees, including technologists, representatives from NGOs, governments, academe, funders, and industry.

This is a tremendous opportunity to promote our work to an influential audience, and an incredible honor for ETOW, but it’s more: it’s also an affirmation by this internationally respected body that our mission and our methods converge in a realistic way that can make a real difference in the lives of those we serve.

The inaugural Global Humanitarian Technology Conference will be held from October 31 to November 1, 2011, at the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle, Washington. For more information, visit www.ieeeghtc.org.

How can you help?  Join ETOW’s Facebook 500 (if you haven’t already) by following us on Facebook–and spread the word about ETOW and the power of radio education among your FB friends.

Last August, ETOW teamed with the American Haitian Foundation, shipping radios to the 39 teachers at St. Antoine’s School, in the town of Petite-Rivière-de- Nippes, Haiti, 68 miles from the capital. The teachers brought the radios to their homes, gathering news to pass on to their students. When the earthquake hit, the teachers cranked them up to glean what information they could. “After the earthquake, all the radio stations were off in the country,” says Emmanuel Pressoir, the school’s business manager. “The telephone did not work, even the cell phone. But with their radios, they could go on shortwave, and be informed.” A week later, when a 5.9 aftershock rocked the village and rumors of an impending tsunami stirred panic, the teachers were able to turn to their radios again…”

Please visit the WSJ Mag website to read the full article.

ETOW would especially like to thank David, as well as editor Owen Phillips, photographer Randy Harris, and indeed all the WSJ staff, who made this nonprofit’s dream come true in print before thousands of readers. We would also like to thank those of our partners and supporters who provided wonderful photos and comments that enrich the piece. Last but certainly not least, ETOW wishes to thank those readers who have responded with all forms of support, in the form of encouraging words, or in donations of money, time, and/or talent. Many, many thanks to each of you — we are profoundly grateful.

Sudanese students deliver ETOW radios (in bags) and an ETOW solar panel to a teacher workshop. (Project Education Sudan Journey of Hope 2010)

Ears to Our World’s first radios have arrived in Southern Sudan, care of our partner Project Education Sudan, a US-based charitable organization whose goal is to foster education in areas that have been ravaged by Sudan’s 20 year civil war, which has destroyed its existing educational system.

Like ETOW, Project Educate Sudan believes that education and the dissemination of information is fundamental. ETOW’s shortwave radios have found a vital role in this area, with PES distributing and teaching community leaders how to operate them.

Carol Rinehart, executive director of PES, headed up the first distribution project, taking forty ETOW shortwave radios to five different villages in Sudan. She and her team distributed the radios to headmasters and teachers in schools which PES helps to fund, and found the response was overwhelmingly positive.

A chalk board describes our collaboration. (Project Education Sudan Journey of Hope 2010)

“The teachers were so excited about the radios and using them as a teaching resource that it became the central focus of the teacher In-Service [program], and more teachers than we [could supply] came from all around the area to receive one,” recalled Rinehart. “After distribution of the radios, I saw the teachers around the villages using them with kids surrounding them. Our biggest challenge was the chiefs of the villages also want[ed] a radio!”

Teacher with an ETOW radio. (Project Education Sudan Journey of Hope 2010)

The ETOW radios that were distributed in Sudan almost instantly became the primary source for news and current events, particularly in covering the country’s first democratic elections. During these elections the teachers kept their new radios in the classrooms to teach their students about the voting process, and the broadcasts provided vital information to the community about where and how to cast ballots.

Shortwave radios like those ETOW distributes take on a crucial role in countries where electricity, internet access, and other technology is limited. Radios connect those in remote areas with information that would otherwise be almost impossible to glean. “The main impact of the radios will be with the students and teachers, but the interconnectedness of the students and teachers as a vital part of their community will have a larger impact on the whole village,” said Rinehart. “Their communities are so remote, in a newly-emerging country only now building an infrastructure. So literally, the radios ETOW provides keeps the students, teachers and the whole community connected to the world.”

We are delighted to find a web hosting company that shares our ethics of sustainable business practices. Memset recently announced that they expect to save their customers over 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2010 through their use of cloud computing.

Nick Craig-Wood, CTO of Memset, shares our commitment to the main goals of ETOW. “As an internet hosting company, we are thrilled to be helping ETOW deliver information to the places the Internet doesn’t reach yet,” he said. “On a personal level, I’ve always had a soft spot for radio communications, and to think that a person in an impoverished country could have the use of a long distance radio makes me very happy.”

We feel very fortunate to be supported by such a professional and reliable web hosting company, and look forward to growing with Memset in the future.

ETOW founder and Executive Director, Thomas Witherspoon, attended the 23rd annual event that attracts radios enthusiasts, broadcasters, publishers and hobbyists alike, and was offered a warm reception both by festival hosts and attendees.

This year, the Festival raised more than $900 for ETOW–$700 from the popular silent auction, and over $200 in the form of individual donations. These funds will go a long way toward the support of our ongoing mission of education and international outreach through radio.

But SWL Fest support was not just monetary.  From SWL Fest co-host, Richard Cuff, we received following words of encouragement:

“We’re thrilled to be able to support ETOW.

“The work that you’re doing with ETOW helps us remember that radio is a tool that can make a positive difference in the world. We’re grateful that individuals within the Fest community donate directly to ETOW and we’re grateful to be able to support your work via the Silent Auction.

“We hope 2010 brings much success to ETOW as it continues to make a difference in areas lacking in news and information.”

Thank you very much, Richard!  Thanks, too, to co-host John Figliozzi, and last but not least, to all Winter Fest friends and SWLers who support us so very enthusiastically.  Your belief in the power of radio is well-founded, and your spirited support of ETOW is truly appreciated.

Hats off to our friends of the ‘Fest!

Ears To Our World is delighted to announce that a donation of just $30 to ETOW–the  retail price of Etón’s FR150 or FR160–will pay for the purchase of a self-powered (wind-up) radio, as well as its shipment to Haiti, care of our cargo-carrying partner Operation USA. But what’s more,  Etón Corporation has magnanimously offered to match each individual radio donation one-to-one–meaning, just $30 will now buy and send two wind-up radios to Haiti.

This is a wonderful opportunity to maximize your donation dollar, and help those in Haiti who desperately need the reliable information a self-powered radio can provide about where and when to receive food, water, and medical care, as well as news, weather, and more.

Choose Donation Amount

2 Radios To Haiti $30.00 4 Radios To Haiti $60.00 6 Radios To Haiti $90.00 8 Radios To Haiti $120.00 10 Radios To Haiti $150.00 12 Radios To Haiti $180.00 14 Radios To Haiti $210.00 16 Radios To Haiti $240.00 Case Of 40 Radios to Haiti $600.00

If you represent a government agency or company and would like to buy several cases of radios at a time, please contact us for details.

The response from our Radios to Haiti fund drive, launched only last week, has been truly remarkable.  We wish to thank all that have donated, as well as the volunteers who helped prepare and pack the radios at such short notice.

We have partnered with Operation USA to deliver and distribute our radios to the areas of Haiti affected by the earthquake. Operation USA is a charity that specializes in logistics; their sole purpose is to deliver aid to countries in need, such as Haiti, and for this reason they can do so quickly and efficiently. ETOW is pleased to be partnering with this reputable organization; we look forward to sending more radios to Haiti in the very near future.