Empowering Indigenous Voices: Cultural Survival Awards Grant to CIKDAS Organization

By Jumoke Owoola 

Cultural Survival, an international NGO with core interests to support indigenous cultures, indigenous people, their  environmental matters and traditions ; believing in the reality that doing these will promote indigenous peoples self determinations and human rights has given support through grants to the *Center for Indigenous Knowledge, Development and Sustainability ( CIKDAS* ) to carry out workshops  for 50 selected Youths  on the Utilisation of Community Radio to promote indigenous peoples and ideologies. With this also was a sensitisation training  and radio   production for elderly women on the usages of folklore songs and drums  in addressing critical social issues and positive changes. And between 15th to 16th September, 2024, Ikere Ekiti was agog with positive turnout for both the 2 programs .

 The workshop which is one of the two to be carried out as another is slated for Ikorodu in Lagos State had 50 selected Young Women and Men who showed total interests and concerns for the promotion of indigenous peoples and community media in our society .

 Promoting inclusivity in lines with Yoruba cultural norms equal participation, 4 out of the 50 participants were physically challenged.

( 3 blind and one dumb )

 In a chat with Princess Jumoke Owoola, an indigenous Knowledge and Development Expert who doubles as the CIKDAS Projects Director,  she said that Cultural Survival support was one of the key supports indigenous peoples need in amplifying their voices in order to remain relevant and be recognised by the governing authorities in decision making on all issues concerning indigenous people, governance and cultural sustainability .

"  We  want to show appreciation to the Cultural Survival for sponsoring our programs. Yesterday was a workshop for 50 young women and men on how  to utilize the community media , notably radio and social media in promoting indigenous people and their ideologies. 

" The  training workshop enabled  CIKDAS to equip the 50 young women and men to learn skills in community radio,  impacts and productions , script writing,  social media, cultural advocacy and norms . We brought in experienced facilitators with deepest interests in indigenous peoples rights and ideologies. They were able to guide participants in harnessing the power of community radio to amplifying indigenous voices , promotion of inclusivity as well as advanced their existence and ideologies " Owoola said beaming with happiness that a bar has been raised in support of the indigenous people in Nigeria.

Concluding, Owoola who revealed that the second training  workshop will take place later in Lagos State opined that  the just concluded workshop enabled her organization and participants on how to preserve oral tradition and heritage, development of community radio production skills.   

" I want to conclude that today's session for the Elders was another groundbreaking as they were taught on how to use folkore songs, tales and drum beats to address critical social issues that can inspire positive attitudes.  There is no doubt that digitising  this production for the community radio will go a long way in carrying our messages across to  the rightful places"

 Basking in the euphoria of being one of the luckiest people to partake in  at the training workshop,  Olupitan Omonike who was happy at the opportunity bare her mind .

" This project has showcased the power of cultural preservation and community led initiatives that will forever give the indigenous community the room to be proud of their heritage and survival to the whole world" 

Ayo Afolabi who was one of the trainers said that she was optimistic that she and other trainers were able to equip the participants with more than enough skills needed .

" The power of the community radio can not be waived asides with one hand , I believe these innovatives initiated and demonstrated today showed the  enormous power behind the community radio in promoting indigenous voices "

 For Mojisola Ereloja, "  I am now a culture Advocate and Indigenous peoples Ambassador as this workshop has enabled me to learn basic skills that I need to amplify my voice ,tell.my story and feel superior to do so. No more inferiority complexity as I now know the left to the right . I can even make money creating skits on the social media and doing programs on the community radio with a focus on indigenous matters "  she enthused.

  The second project which was titled  'The Wisdom Keepers'  was an avenue to bring together Elderly women  who are professional drummers and indigenous story tellers to showcase the impacts of folklore songs  in addressing critical social issues and inspiring positive attitudes through storytelling, local drums and songs.

Madam Omope Grace, one of the Elderly Women said,  "This gathering has enabled me to get a new dimension to the usages of indigenous storytelling in  a contemporary manners and still retains the indigenous Knowledge angle of it " .

Madam Abosede Oso, a culture Advocate and one of the trainers   shed more light on the gathering .

"  The motive behind this is to find an enabling ground to curb moral decadence through the usages of folktales, folk  songs and drum beats they can easily attract audiences either in real life or on air.  Not forgetting how to address critical social issues by telling folkloric stories .

" We also tend to achieve preservation of oral tradition and heritage, imbibing this in the veins of the youngsters in order to grow up with it, reawakens the interest in the minds of the older people, empower elderly women as the agents of change, digitize the production for community radio broadcasts as well as   promoting intergenerational learnings and skills transfer to the children" Oso who has 27 years of professional experience on such an issue revealed.

 These programs which took place from the 15th to 16th September, 2024 at Ikere Ekiti in the Western part of Nigeria, has demonstrated  the importance of indigenous peoples, the values in  getting support for the indigenous led initiatives organizations, roles of community radio and also  provided education and training on indigenous rights of the indigenous people.