Airwaves Of Hope

Article by Chandana Banerjee

From a decrease in dowry deaths to an increase in girls’ education, ‘Chala Ho Gaon Mein’ is helping the villagers help themselves

The Ranchi office of Alternatives for India Development receives scores of postcards every month in response to the six programmes that are part of its community radio initiative.Villagers send in postcards with messages about the impact that the programmes have had on their lives and societies. While some of them talk about the change in their attitude on issues like child marriage and education for girls, others send in issues that they want featured on the programmes.

The community radio programme was started by AID in 2001. It had already been working on various issues concerning the villagers and tribals of the area which include lack of proper information and access to mainstream media, ignorance about basic rights and other problems such as those of rural migration, starvation deaths etc.

The AID realized that all these problems were stemmed from the fact that the people of the region were unable to express themselves and speak freely about the problems that they were facing. So, setting up a radio programme seemed like a good way to give a voice to the voiceless. A programme for the villagers and by the villagers that would not only address their issues and make them more aware, but would also reach out to other people who could make a difference to their lives.

Quite a few of the reporters are women who have been working in self-help groups created by the NGO and it’s generally the ones who are bright, helpful and active in community activities, who come forward.

The community radio programme draws them out from their shy selves and gives them a mission in life – a mission to educate their fellow villagers, an aim to help their own cause and work for the betterment of their community.