1. Community Radio:
The use of radio medium started in the year 1999. So far 11 annual series and over 400 programs have been made to give voice to the various issues of community in different areas. With this initiative, activities like radio and public media started happening in other parts of the country as well. In order to make the community-run radio medium, work was undertaken at the policy level, and as a result in the year 2006 community radio policy came up. In the year 2012, the license was obtained from the government to establish the radio station named “Saiyere Jo Radio”. It became the first women-led community radio station in Kutch.
Saiyere jo Radio is an initiative of “Saiyere jo Sangathan”, a dedicated women’s collective of the remotest area of the Kutch. Generally, the members are SHG leaders of the local community supported by Lokvaani. “Saiyere jo Radio” is a strong medium for the education of the society as all the information and programs are broadcasted in the local language “Kutchi”.
Local women are regularly participating in group meetings where they share and discuss various issues of life. Meetings turned into an enormous stage for members to raise their voices about social, health, education, animal husbandry, and livelihood issues. The Radio content & management committee decided to give air to these voices through a series of episodes and named the programme as “Saiyere Ji Gaal”. Livelihood, Health and educational services & Environmental issues due to weather fluctuations, and strengthening women’s leadership are the major concerns of the area, thus the theme of the “Saiyere ji Gaal” is to air the programs on women’s compulsive and demanding elements of health, education, livelihood, environment, and administrative & political strengthening in panchayats.
Women strongly voiced their experiences regarding the lack of livelihood activities, and poor implementation of health services and also shared and discussed basic information on various issues through group discussions & interviews. Radio reporters & and volunteers started recording these unheard voices by attending meetings in village Faliyas (Streets). The Radio team is also broadcasting the local professional interviews of individuals like Doctors, Nurses, Sarpanch, Panchayat Secretaries, and others for education and further information.
During covid 19 and radio program: No information source is available to provide basic information for health and education during Corona time, especially for women. Community radio was an effective medium for raising awareness of COVID-19, health services, education services, and public policies. There was also more potential to impact and illuminate the lives of poor and backward people.
The “Tu Jiyro Ai” program was started for the same and under this programs were related to COVID-19. Social awareness of family and extension of social security, nutrition by government, financial assistance for children’s education, encouragement to go to school. Moreover, priority should be given to children and their education which will lead to their future security. About 200 Special Pati-Pen programs on various topics such as child development and mental health are produced and broadcast on radio stations.
Narrowcasting: The prepared program is telecasted through Nerocasting. We have also adopted a method to make them listen in the groups and undertake the discussions on them.
