[cr-india] Building community radio links in India

[George Lessard]

31 January, 2007 - Published 10:33 GMT

Building community radio links in India

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/trust/developmentcommunications/story/2007/01/printable/070123_india_radio_trip.shtml

[excerpt]

A group of nine women stand outside Indira Gandhi airport in Delhi. They
have come from villages and small towns across northern India. Many are
taking a flight for the first time in their lives.

Excitement and nervousness shows on their faces. As they board, activist
Usha Devi blurts out: ‘bahini jiya sach mein dhak dhak kar raha hai’ ('my
poor heart is going boom-boom').

Activist reporters

The women are grassroots activists from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
and Jharkhand.

They are also reporters for ‘Aangan ke Paar’ ('Beyond the Courtyard'), the
BBC World Service Trust's weekly radio programme in Hindi promoting HIV
awareness and women’s empowerment.

More about ‘Aangan ke Paar’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/trust/developmentcommunications/story/2006/11/printable/061020_indiawomen_radiolaunch.shtml


Community stories

In August 2006, the Trust trained women activists to contribute to ‘Aangan
ke Paar’. The women were then given mini-disc recorders and microphones to
record stories from their communities. Their stories are now fed into the
weekly radio programme.