Poverty is particularly acute in the tribal uplands
of Orissa. To reach a large number of people, our Indian partner, CHALE
CHALO, has set up a Community Radio Project which broadcasts to an audience
of up to 500,000 in their own language.
The programmes are made with considerable community involvement, and address
a wide range of matters, from healthcare to education, from agricultural
issues to climate change. They are some of the most popular of the programmes,
and provide an chance for villagers to ‘star’ .
The programmes are followed up by discussion in the villages, led by project
workers, giving people a chance to share their problems and try and find
solutions. Sometimes this might mean campaigning for an extra teacher in
their school, for connection to the electric grid, for clean water, or against
corruption in local government. All these matters are achievable; their
successes have been many, and the changes are bringing real benefits to
hard-pressed communities.