Community radio set up by rural women in Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Dec. 2 (ANI): A radio station, set up by a group of women in Manipur village of Ahmedabad district to cater to the needs of the rural women, has gained huge popularity.

Aided by SEWA, a self help group, the Rudi-No-Radio is managed and run exclusively by women.

Establised five year ago, the now boasts of mass-based listeners as evident from the thousands of listeners' mail.

"We launched it five years ago and we got an overwhelming response. We have received 3000 letters in the last four to five years. We also receive phone calls. Our target audience are rural women and their farming community members," said Balu Makwana, manager of Rudi-No-Radio station, Manipur village.

The radio station has been airing programmes on various topics and entertainment, beamed to nearly 20 villages.

Folk songs, programmes on agriculture, pre and post-natal care, child rearing, animal rearing, cooking, hygiene and other women oriented topics are aired on this unique community radio.

"Rural women here could not contribute their mite to our self help group named SEWA. So they said something should be done where they could be facilitated. Keeping all these things in mind we started this community radio (Rudi-No-Radio to mean Rudi's Radio), which is cheap and mobile," Makwana said.

Members of the radio station visit various villages and interact with the local women to enquire regarding their problems and also invite them to studio.

"We visit women and ask them regarding their problems and issues. We urge them to openly share their issues so that they can be addressed. We also invite them to studio," noted Pushpa Chauhan, a programmer associated with the Rudi-No-Radio.

Chauhan has been part of the radio station right from the day one. (ANI)