Welcome to Population Foundation of India

The Population Foundation of India (PFI) in collaboration with Agragamee, a local non-governmental organisation in Rayagada district, started a community radio programme titled Ujala, in the backward and tribal districts of Orissa. The districts in which the programme was implemented are Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Nabarangpur. The objective of the programme is to empower the community and the members of Panchayati Raj on the issues of population, health and social development through community radio in the areas, where the Desia-dialect (a common tribal dialect) is spoken and understood.

Agragamee is responsible for the production of fifty two episodes in the Desia dialect, for the broadcasting of the episodes through the All India Radio (AIR) Jeypore and for the promotion of the programme at the ground-level. As many as twenty five listeners’ clubs - selected by Agragamee for the promotion of the programme at the ground level - were formed by networking NGOs at the village level. The functioning of the clubs is being regularly monitored by Agragamee and the PFI.

The first programme was broadcast on 31 st October 2004. The programme went on air every Sunday from 6.10 P.M. to 6.40 P.M. as part of the popular programme called ‘Chaiti Janha. All the 52 episodes have been produced and handed over to AIR Jeypore for broadcast. The PFI distributed fifty radio sets to the deserving listeners’ clubs through Agragamee.

The response to the programme has been overwhelming and AIR Jeypore/Agragamee has been receiving letters relating to the programme from the listeners.

Sambalpur, Orissa

In collaboration with an NGO called Manav Kalyan Pratisthan, Sambalpur, the PFI started another community radio programme, called ‘Ukia’ in seven districts around Sambalpur. These are Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Baudh, Sonepur and Bolangir in western Orissa. The main objective of the programme is to empower the community on the issues of population, health and social development through a series of fifty two episodes in the areas, where the Sambalpuri dialect is spoken. The programme was officially launched on January 21, 2005 by Chief Minister, Orissa. The first episode went on air on January 24, 2005 through AIR Sambalpur.The programme is telecast from 7.30 to 8pm every Monday. A number of episodes have been translated into the Sambalpuri dialect, while the work on the translation of other scripts – from the Desia dialect to the Sambalpuri dialect was in progress.

The Population Foundation of India and Manav Kalyan Pratisthan have formed a network of NGOs at the ground level. These NGOs have in turn formed fifty listeners’ clubs and fifty radio sets have been distributed by PFI to the deserving clubs.

The response to the programme has been overwhelming. More than two hundred letters have been received by Manav Kalyan Pratisthan and the Audience Research Cell of AIR Sambalpur.

Jagdalpur, Chattisgarh

The Population Foundation of India - in association with an NGO called ‘Bastar True Light Samiti’ at Jagdalpur - had broadcast twenty six episodes of community radio programme in the Halbi dialect, through AIR, Jagdalpur. The first programme was aired on 7 th March 2004. Thereafter, the programme was aired on every Sunday from 7.10 P.M. to 7.40 P.M. through Medium Wave from AIR Jagdalpur. The programme was well received by the community.

After the broadcast of the twenty six episodes by September 2004, a request was received from Bastar True Light Samiti to re-broadcast the same episodes. The Centre for Media Studies (CMS) was consulted on the effectiveness of the repeat broadcast. The CMS suggested re-broadcasting the programme after a gap of four to five months, as it would add freshness to the programme. As suggested by CMS and Bastar True Light Samiti, PFI decided to repeat the same programme through AIR Jagdalpur from April 2005. The second phase of the broadcast began on April 3, 2005 through AIR Jagdalpur. Four old episodes have been replaced by new episodes - one on leprosy, one on HIV/AIDS and two other episodes based on the feedback from listeners.

Bihar

After the first phase of the broadcast of the community radio programme, Ujala, in fourteen districts of Bihar, the Foundation decided to repeat the broadcast of the same programmes through AIR Patna on every Sunday, between 6.30 P.M. to 7.00 P.M. through AIR Patna from April 11, 2004 onwards. Five districts - Nalanda, Patna, Vaishali, Gaya and Nawadah – were selected. Listeners’ clubs were formed in association with seven local NGOs in five districts. The members of the listeners’ clubs, called ‘Shrotas’, were adolescent girls and boys in the age group of 16-25, selected by the local NGOs. A total of thirty two listeners’ clubs were formed covering a population of 19,524 in 21 panchayats of 9 blocks.

The main objectives of the clubs are (a) to ensure the outreach to a larger community, (b) to involve more voluntary organizations in promoting the Ujala community radio programme, (c) to establish the system of exchange of dialogues with the community on a regular basis on the issues addressed in the community radio programme, (d) to know the peoples’ perceptions regarding the radio programmes in general and specifically on Ujala and (e) to bring about a change in the thinking and behavioural processes in the community.

The local implementing agency, Bihar Voluntary Health Association (BVHA), Patna coordinated and organized monthly review meetings with the seven local NGOs. Letters have been received from the listeners’ giving their comments and suggestions on various episodes. A review meeting was held at BVHA in September 2004, at which all the NGOs were invited to share their views on the programme.

The last programme was broadcast on October 17, 2004. The Centre for Media Studies conducted an impact study which revealed that the programme was well accepted by the listeners at large and there is a demand for the programme to be broadcast for the third time. To share the CMS report, an experience sharing workshop was held at Patna in May 2005. The partner NGOs and the members of the listeners’ clubs were felicitated at the workshop.