[cr-india] Mumbai: Community radio for slum residents

[Alokesh Gupta]

Mumbai: Community radio for slum residents

Shai Venkatraman
Wednesday, August 27, 2008, (Mumbai)
Two girls in Mumbai are leading students and residents of slums to host
shows on a radio station started by the Mumbai University.
The girls are spearheading a change through community radio.
Born in a Mumbai slum, 17-year-old Gautami Chawre, a factory worker, has
never been to school. Now her radio shows on MUST Radio have made her the
talk of her neighbourhood.
"I never thought that I could become a radio jockey. I used to listen to
other RJs and wonder if I could do this. Now I know I can. In my workplace
everyone used to stay I speak too loudly. Now they tell me at least you are
putting your voice to good use," said Gautami.
Another girl Shenaz Shaikh is also learning to be a radio jockey.
It is an initiative by the Mumbai University community radio station, MUST
Radio to bring about a change in local slum communities by talking about
issues like health, hygiene and education.
"We decided to choose people from the slum community itself and train them
to be radio jockeys. It is a big USP because people will listen to someone
their own kith and kin. They think it is from their own basti," said Pankaj
Athavale, consultant, MUST Radio.
"People from my neighbourhood come up to me and ask me to talk about certain
things or recite poems on air," said Shenaz.
>From school textbook lessons to vegetable prices, job opportunities for
daily wage labourers, the radio show has something for everyone. No wonder
it has got people talking.
"I never thought she could go this far that people would be talking about
her. I am really very happy," said Gautami's mother Lata Chawre.
"It will be good if others take to it also. Especially girls because it is
important they do well," said a local resident.
Like Gautami, many of the residents of the slum colony have never been to
school. However, the community radio station has opened up a whole new world
for them, where they too have a chance to be heard.

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080063155&ch=8/27/2008%208:27:00%20PM